The Future of HSM
by general wildcat
Summary: The HSM characters about ten years after graduating high school. What changed about them? Are there certain sparks between anyone? And who's that little kid Chad always has with him? Mainly C&T with some T&G. Implied S&Z, and R&K towards the end.
1. Prologue

So this is my new story idea. I don't know, just an idea that came to me. Here, lemme post a full summary and see if it's interesting at all. This is only the first chapter so far, since I have a lack of ideas on how to start with the setting and such, you know? And with me probably updating my one shots, working, and starting school I may not be able to update everything as quickly. So yeah, behold the suspense.

_Summary: This is the future of the former East High Wildcats, class of 2008. They have all attended college for four or more years. Now it's nearly ten years since they graduated high school and everything changed. Nothing's the same as they remember it. They've got their jobs and futures set out. Troy had found a balance between his loves of theater and basketball. His possible future with Gabriella is debatable but he never looked happier. Gabriella is stepping up in the world from a simple part-time waitress to a full-time manager. Ryan and Sharpay have never been a more dynamic duo. Taylor is a Chemistry professor at Oxford. Kelsi is nearly world-famous and composing music for a living. Zeke opened his own bakery and never turns down any customers. Chad is the one who changed the most. He's gone from the thought of no career to an unexpected future. So what happens when everyone gets the wrong idea about him?_

Lame summary, I know. But in a sense, it's the HSM gang about ten years into the future. I'm gonna try and incorporate everyone in the story equally, but you know how I am. We need more C&T stories around here so there's definitely gonna be some of that. Think that also implies some T&G, but not as much. You know what I mean, right? And you want me to shut up so you can get started and read this first chapter already, don't you? Read on then. Remember, I don't own HSM.

* * *

We've really grown up a lot since we all left high school and went our separate ways. It's kinda crazy when you think about it. I mean, things were going really great from where we were all standing. But one thing led to another and we just kinda split up. But we're all on our own now, making new lives. So it's an interesting change, actually.

Troy's taken a big step to helping the community. He bought that old run down community theater in the middle of town and spent almost two years fixing it up. Now he's talking about starting a tradition that everyone in Albuquerque have something to do with it, or at least get the kids from all the schools together so they can put on a big show. He's got plans for it and everything. Sure, Troy's still about basketball and whatnot, but he really surprised everyone with this theater thing. When he said he wanted theater and basketball in his life, he wasn't kidding. Troy got to be the assistant coach or some kinda substitute gym teacher at our old high school for the basketball team. So add that in with the community theater. He and I are still tight. Still kicks my butt in basketball though, which I think is pathetic on my part. But how else was he gonna get me to help him with his new thing right? But even though we've had hard times keeping in contact the past few years we've always jumped ahead of the game.

Gabriella's one of the top waitresses at the fanciest restaurant in town. And trust me, the girl doesn't just wait on tables or bring food and bills to people. If there's ever a problem with crunching numbers or one of the computers Gabriella's the one to go to. Everyone keeps saying how she's gonna be the next manager of the restaurant and then make a special formula to simplify making all the food. It's not exactly her dream career, but Gabs certainly seems happy doing it. And she loves it when she gets to wait on her friends. Two extra minutes of fooling around instead of working. I don't even know what's going on with her and Troy anymore. It feels so much easier to lose track of them. For all I know he's planning to plop the big q.

Sharpay took over the drama department at the high school, just like she's done since freshman year in college. So you know what that means – she runs the whole drama club, department, and teaches it. She also happens to be the school's chorus director or something. She's been working closely with Gabriella's younger cousin and my younger sister. Sharpay says that Gabriella's cousin is just like her, with the same hair and whatnot. I never thought that the former Ice Princess of East High would have seen a relative of Gabriella's as her star pupil, though. Well, as far as singing goes, anyway. But we remember we're talking to Sharpay when Sharpay says Gabs' cousin will never be as talented as her. Yup, her and in Sharpay. You should've known that by now.

Ryan is like Sharpay's partner in crime. He works with all of East High's plays, mainly the choreography. That's his main job, dancing with directing as one of East's drama teachers, you know? His other job involves opening his own hat store. Yeah Ryan said he'd do that one day. He's still trying to do it. But we really think Ry's coming around. He even comes to all his old friends asking for advice on what hats would be best to sell to people. He's got newsboy hats, baseball caps, joker hats, Viking hats…ok most of them are probably Halloween related but at least he'll know when business will really be booming, right?

Kelsi's doing really great. Not a lot of people thought she'd go so far cause she was always so quiet. But wait till you see her now. She gets to write songs for a bunch of different singers. She's even working out some kind of deal to write songs for a movie or something. Sure, all her work is behind the scenes and stuff but it's totally cool. She gets to play the piano all day. Even in high school that small person still gets that gleam in her eye when she finishes a song and everyone says it's a big hit. Yeah, sometimes I still call her that just for kicks. It's our own little inside joke.

Zeke's a caterer. He bakes stuff for a ton of different occasions. He's done weddings, bar mitzvahs, parties, etc. There's never been a disappointed face when someone calls the Zekery, you know what I'm saying? He makes the best food. His most famous dish is the Chocolate Truffle Surprise. He's got this massive secret ingredient that he swore never to reveal what it was. The guy's got a lot of respect, too. He has three different recipes for each dish in case he uses an ingredient that someone's allergic to. I learned that the hard way.

The only one of us that isn't around is Jason. That was a really sad day. See…well, it was about a day or so after we all graduated high school. There was this big bash for all the seniors in front of East High. We were all having the time of our lives. Jason was especially excited since he found out he graduated and wouldn't be held back. No one was happier to be at that party than him. But everything was kinda cut short. I was with someone else when we realized what was happening. There were a lot of injuries that day, myself included in them. But only a few lost lives. Jason was one of them. Turned out he was shot in the chest and…well I don't remember all the details, but I do remember that even if he had lived he would have had a ton of problems breathing or something. But we've got a memorial for him and the other students back by the outside basketball court at the high school. We visited there every chance we got. Trust me, we all miss him.

So you're only counting about seven people, right? Well, there's two missing from the equation up there. I'm one of them. The other one…I haven't heard from her in years.

She was my everything back in high school. Yeah, we were a couple. Second cutest in school, I think. Our best friends were dating and…I don't know. Something in us just clicked or something. I mean sure, we had our fights like any other couple and we didn't always get along. But we had so much planned for the future. We were really gonna stick it through. But it never happened. We split up. There were too many fights and we completely lost it for each other. But as far as I know now, Taylor's a professor at Oxford University. We haven't spoken in nearly ten years.

And finally you've got me. Life didn't exactly turn out the way I planned. Ever since that one day with the injury I guess something in me lost its touch for basketball. I had a hard time gripping it or something. Maybe it was my nerves talking the whole time or something, but either way I couldn't bring myself to play anymore. I lost my scholarship at the University of Albuquerque. Yeah I was disappointed at first. But I learned that life can take you by surprise sometimes. I've really changed things around now. I own my own bowling alley. Ok, so it doesn't sound that glamorous. But it's something, and I always get a kick helping out with kids' parties there. But it's not only me I gotta look out for. There's someone else who I always have to help out and put first; they're what keeps me going.

Really, when you lose contact with a lot of people from high school that used to be your best friends all you can do is look to the future.

* * *

Ok, sorry for the shortness of this chapter. It's just to ive an idea of where everyone's at. You know me, the chapters will probably be much longer in the future. So I can't promise any quick updates, but I'll see what I can do for the first official chapter. Sorry but if I'm in suspense for stories you guys can be, too. xD And hey, you know how I love suggestions and opinions anyway. So keep an eye out for those, cause I'll be sure to ask for them soon!


	2. Chapter 1

Ok so I wanted to get started on at least one chapter. Sorry again for it not being the longest, but if memory serves my first story started off slow as well. So that's why it's going to slowly build up. It's gonna leave you with a few different questions...I think. Hey, I'm not a mind reader here and you know it. Besides, I had to type up the next chapter to this cause I didn't know what song to do next for my one shots.  
Ok, you can get to the chapter reading now. Once again I do not own HSM.

* * *

"I don't know, I think the sign should go up a little more." Troy Bolton said as he rubbed his chin.

Chad Danforth chuckled and shook his head. "Dude, it's not like anyone's gonna use this place right away." Even as he shook his head his incredibly curly brown hair swung back and forth and even more bangs fell in his face.

"Ok so maybe not. But at least when we are ready to use it it'll be ready." Troy replied. "Besides, this place is really something special."

"You're planning something with Gabriella aren't you?" Chad asked.

Troy smiled sheepishly. "Not yet." He admitted. Troy was crazy about Gabriella Montez. They dated exclusively for over two years. They were kind of on and off during college because of how different it was from high school. There was more work to be done and they lived a little further away from each other. Most people didn't even know what was going on with Troy and Gabriella anyway. But the one thing everyone did know was that he was crazy about her.

Troy shook his head, deciding to change the subject. "So, you know that next week is that reunion at East High, right?"

"Dude how could I forget?" Chad asked. "They have to have one of their best graduating classes reunite there before they remodel."

"You don't think they'll change the memorial or anything do you?" Troy wondered.

"Heck no!" Chad gasped. "C'mon, you know they gotta keep that there forever. It's symbolic."

"Yeah." Troy nodded in agreement quietly. "It's like Jason never left high school."

"But he did." Chad replied. "He graduated with us. And he's right in there inspiring future generations in those walls."

That made Troy grin. Leave it to Chad to look on the bright side. He could never see anyone down for long. There always had to be someone to brighten up the mood somehow and Chad was the one. But Troy knew that Chad also felt guilty, thinking it was his fault about what happened that day.

"So you'd be cool with us paying Jay a visit when we get to the school?" Troy assumed.

"No doubt about it." He nodded. "We can reminisce with him or something."

"Like remind him about our big championship game in senior year." Troy grinned. "Back to back city championships. Co-captains, the two of us. Jason always being the clown and goofing off during practice. We always needed that."

"And at the celebratory party afterwards he was dancing like a mad man." Chad chuckled in agreement.

"_Oh yeah, victory is now in the hands of the Wildcats! Boo-yeah!" Jason Cross cheered as he literally jumped into Troy's backyard. It was right after the final basketball game of the year and everyone was partying it up at the Bolton household. Jason was happier than any of them. Even if he didn't graduate this year he could still say that he played a part in bringing the East High Wildcats to back-to-back championships. He looked even more excited as Troy and Chad entered the backyard._

"_Yo co-cap'ns!" Jason called. "Way to go out there on the court tonight. You guys were on fire!"_

"_So were you man!" Chad chuckled. "We couldn't have done it without you."_

"_Really? You look like you could fall on your own just fine." Troy joked, referring to the point in the game where a player on the other team knocked Chad right onto the floor._

"_I jumped right back up." Chad said defensively. "Am I right or am I right?" he asked Jason._

"_Whatever you say man. Whatever you say." Jason shrugged._

_Chad rolled his eyes._

"_Hey the important thing is," Troy said as he stepped in between his friends and teammates, "we won the game and we did it together. We stuck it out through the entire game and we did it. We played like a real team and we were there for each other. I was just one of the co-captains coming up with the strategies. But Chad had my back every step of the way and he was the one who made sure we were always ready and never took our eyes off the prize. And Jason, you were always the one just joking around at practice. You made us think that none of it was a big deal at all. But you really came through when we needed you most and you really picked us up when we were at our exhaustion point. We really couldn't do it without you."_

_Jason grinned. "Anything for my guys." He pounded fists with Troy and Chad. "So now to celebrate, I'm gonna hit the dance floor and party it up all night. Then I'm moving into the library to make sure I'll be up on that podium with you guys come graduation day."_

"_We'll hold you to that man." Troy smiled._

_And with that, the three went their separate ways. But none of them could have looked happier._

"I wonder what he'll think when we tell them where we landed today." Troy said once they snapped out of the flashback.

"He'll probably be thrilled for us." Chad said. "Or at least for you. You're working with the future East High Wildcats, you know. And now we're working on all of this and you're really gonna turn this old place into something Albuquerque can be proud of." He moved his hand to signal the room of the community theater and Troy responded by chuckling.

"What about you?" Troy asked. "You own your own bowling alley. You host kids' parties there and they always love you."

"If only you knew man." Chad shrugged. "Trust me, those kids that celebrate their birthdays there aren't all I've got in my life."

Troy's eyes widened. "Dude, you found another girl?"

"You kidding?" Chad replied. "I could never replace…"

Troy's expression calmed as he nodded. He knew it was a sore spot for Chad to talk about his ex. And everyone knew how crazy Troy always was about Gabriella. Chad was just as much in love with his ex. "I know you never could man." Troy nodded. "So then what are you talking about?"

Chad didn't feel comfortable with telling Troy. It's been like that for a year or so now. Chad never even told anyone. He was glad for the kid and all, but he just never knew how to tell anyone. And e knew that the second they saw him, they'd get the wrong idea.

"Let's just say it's something important ok Troy?" Chad asked. "All I'm gonna say is that I'll tell you when the time is right. And it's not the right time yet."

"I don't get it." Troy shook his head. But he had to admit, he was starting to have his suspicions about Chad. He'd never say anything out loud of course, because then Chad would get all defensive and deny everything. Chad and Troy were best friends. They always have been, they always will be. But even best friends kept secrets from each other.

"And it's best that you don't get it. That you don't know. At least not yet." Chad replied. "Look I know I'm not always the most trusting guy in the world and I know I can be crazy or I don't make the best decisions that I should. But I need you to trust me on this one. It's my life and I need to worry about it. It's not yours man."

"I know." He nodded. Troy could understand that, he really could. But what was so bad about wanting to make sure that his theories about why Chad had a kid were wrong? What was so bad about wanting to take an interest in his friend's life when it seemed like there was nothing else in there? And from what Troy could tell, or at least what it looked like to him, Chad talking to him was the highlight of Chad's day. Chad hadn't been the same energetic guy he was in years. Something about him changed. Troy never knew what. But he wanted to. He wanted to know what about his best friend he was missing. He wanted to know what else could be missing in Chad's life to make him give off a depressing vibe. And Troy wanted to know what Chad was doing when he was on his own. Was he really taking care of a kid or was it just an excuse to be on his own?

Whatever it was, Troy wanted to get to the bottom of this. And there had to be someone who knew. He wasn't sure who, but he had to talk to someone about Chad. Anyone.

* * *

Ok so you've met Troy and Chad again, and you know Jason isn't gonna be around. Hey, I didn't exactly kill him off and I didn't want to. Let's jsut say I had a dream about one of the later flashbacks in the story and it ended with a death and about three or four injuries. But you'll find out all about that later on. So that means when the characters mention something about a senior party after graduation, you're not gonna see the flashback for a while. Anyway, now with Troy and Chad out of the way I think you all know who's gonna be reintroduced next....


	3. Chapter 2

Again, a fairly short chapter. It's starting out slow like I said it was. We need to officially reintroduce all of the characters. We need to get a sense at where they are and everything. I don't know if I'll update this any more tonight but if I don't then I will tomorrow. But I'm happy for the few reviews I got so far. Should I say thanks now? Yeah, why not while there's not a lot of names to remember. xD So thanks for the reviews, digigirl02, Always-Here-Imani, and ChaylorTwilightQueen10.  
Once again I do not own HSM or its characters. But like I said, it would be so cool if that were to happen. Then it'd be Hello-more-depth-into-other-characters-and-relationships-besides-Troy-and-Gabriella, separate series for kids and teens, and a whole bunch of other stuff I can't think of off the top of my head.

* * *

Gabriella Montez paced around her living room. She was talking to her friend on the other line and she sounded stressed. It wasn't that Gabriella never supported her friends, she always did. But this was her best friend we're talking about. She wanted to see her again. And even though that now it was practically summer and no reason for her to stay at the college she was teaching at, she still sounded reluctant to come back.

"Tay come on." Gabriella sighed. "You have to come to the high school reunion. Everyone's going to be there and you know it."

"No Gabriella, I don't." Taylor McKessie shook her head on the other end. She was still in her home not too far from Oxford University and she personally preferred it there over Albuquerque despite the distance. Ok, she missed Gabriella and her other friends and all, but Taylor was never ready to go back. She decided to take the stubborn path and stay where she was.

"Well why not?" Gabriella asked. "I miss you. And I bet I'm not the only one. And you were salutatorian of our class so you can't not come to the occasion. I'm not going if you're not going."

"Then don't go." Taylor sighed. She hit her hand against her forehead and ran her fingers through her shoulder length black hair. She moaned and let herself fall onto the nearby couch.

Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "Are you stressed about something I should know about?" she wondered.

"You mean besides teaching when half of the students in my classes are only in there to earn a couple of credits instead of actually wanting to further an occupation in something science-related?" Taylor replied.

"Ok that I can understand." Gabriella nodded. "But there's one thing you have to remember..."

"I have a degree, Gabriella. I know what goes on in students' heads. I've been trained for at least three years." Taylor replied.

"And teaching for about two." Gabriella said to herself.

"I heard that." Taylor countered.

She sighed. "Tay, come on. Really, if you're not this stressed about the students then what are you stressed about?"

"All I'm stressed about is the students." Taylor lied. "I know how high Oxford's standards are and it's a very prestigious school but that still doesn't excuse the behavior of certain students. They actually fall asleep in class when it doesn't start at eight or nine in the morning and they let me know how bored out of their minds they are."

"Ok I get it. Teaching college students can be a very...how do I put this nicely..." Gabriella stated.

"Witchy job?" she raised an eyebrow, knowing Gabriella didn't like people cursing around her.

"You could call it that. But I know what word you did want to use." Gabriella replied.

"Trust me, there's more than the job that's 'witchy'." she said, using air quotes.

"You really can't let it go can you?" Gabriella asked politely.

"He never even needed to act the way he did, ok?" Taylor defended. "He implied the break-up and as soon as I bring up the subject he denies ever thinking anything and then what happens? He pins the blame onto me."

"I know the story Taylor." Gabriella replied. "You don't need to keep bringing it up. And I know how much it bothers you."

"Ok genius girl," Taylor said, "then what do you suggest to make it stop bothering me?"

"Maybe put your mind on something else. Well, besides teaching I mean." she shrugged.

"Unfortunately it's easier said than done." Taylor stated. "And it's especially difficult to stop your mind from wandering so much when you're in the middle of grading about two hundred or so papers."

"So then I know exactly what you need." Gabriella smiled.

"Care to share?" she inquired.

"Two words: new guy." Gabriella answered.

"You're joking right?" Taylor asked. "Now I've seriously got better things to do than think about dating. I've got my job to think about."

"And now you're on summer vacation. You'll have three months to put your mind on something else. I really think that's all you'll need." Gabriella said.

"Just three months? Sounds doubtful." she replied.

"But you'll never know if you don't try now will you?" Gabriella asked. "Besides, I'm sure plenty of your students are wondering why they call you Ms instead of Professor."

It was true. Some of Taylor's students did refer to her as Professor, but others would call her by Ms McKessie. Taylor did recall getting a few comments at the beginning of each semester asking if she was engaged or anything. That was when she quickly changed the subject to the sylabus for the class. Taylor didn't even know why students would ask her that. It wasn't like it was any of their business or anything.

"You know life can't be about something school-related forever." Gabriella continued. "You need someone special in your life Tay. And if it's not someone from high school then clearly your guy has to be out there somewhere."

"So what do you suggest?" she asked.

"Get out there and work it!" Gabriella encouraged. "You'll have guys eating out of the palm of your hand before you know it."

"Speaking of which," Taylor smirked, "when was the last time Troy was eating out of the palm of your hand?"

Gabriella felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She hated it when Taylor did this. Gabriella would advise Taylor with a date or something and then Taylor would turn it around and pin Gabriella down.

"Just the usual..." she said as calmly as she could.

"Don't you 'just the usual' me." Taylor replied, waving a finger as she sat up. "I know something more is up. Need i remind you of when you confessed your love for Troy?"

_It wasn't too far from the end of senior year. Gabriella had early acceptance to the University of Standford, the college she had been dreaming of since she was little. At first Gabriella had never even intended to go but her friends pushed her to do it, including Troy. And at the time Troy and Gabriella were only dating, trying to figure out what they'd do without each other when it was time for college. That made Troy realize how lonely he'd be without Gabriella. In a way he'd be Gabriella-less._

_Troy was hanging with Chad one night and Troy was thinking about Gabriella yet again. He looked down at his phone and heard it ringing. As soon as he saw it was Gabriella calling, he picked up right away. Gabriella was telling him how Stanford was and everything and they were saying how they missed each other._

_"So you're still coming back for prom and graduation, right?" Troy asked her._

_"Saying good-bye once was hard enough Troy." Gabriella replied softly. "I'm out of good-bye's."_

_"What?" Troy asked quietly, surprised. "But I thought-"_

_"We can't keep this up Troy. I've finally gotten used to it here. I don't think I can leave." Gabriella replied._

_"Gabriella..." Troy whispered._

_Gabriella had tears in her eyes at that point and they were right at the edge, ready to fall. "I love you Wildcat." And then she hung up._

_And all Troy did for that moment was stare at the phone in disbelief._

"I know, I know." Gabriella sighed. "And then he drove up to Stanford so he and I could have our own prom together."

"Exactly." Taylor nodded. "So between the start of college and the end of college was just a rough patch for you two. If memory serves from the first time you discussed Troy after that, things were looking way better for you two."

"Yeah well don't get your hopes up for a dramatic change any time soon." Gabriella replied simply. "Troy and I are just dating right now. Sure, we love each other and everything, but we're not taking it further than dating."

"Kissing?" Taylor looked at her nails.

"Usually."

"Making out?"

"Not excessively..."

"Making love?"

"Taylor!"

"I'm just saying, they all have _something_ to do with dating." she replied defensively.

"Something. Not everything." Gabriella corrected. "But maybe before you continue questioning me about my love life you should think about yours."

"Or lack thereof." she muttered.

"I heard that." Gabriella giggled.

Taylor sighed. "Alright, if it'll make you happy I'll at least talk to a guy." she caved. "Maybe one of the more sophisticated teachers from Oxford. The one who keeps eying me is eying me in places that he should not be staring at during the school day."

Gabriella couldn't help but laugh. "Good luck with that then."

"Thanks. Say hi to Troy for me." she teased.

"So you'll come up next week for the reunion?" Gabriella asked hopefully.

And she was stuck in the trap again. "We'll talk about that another time."

"Tomorrow."

"Saturday."

"That's the day of the reunion."

"Fine, the day before Saturday."

"Taylor!"

Taylor sighed again. "I'll email you then, alright? I'll email you and then we'll talk about the reunion."

"At least promise to come home and visit?" Gabriella asked.

She could do that. She'd be lying if she said she didn't want to see Gabriella or any other friends she missed out on. "Ok. I promise." she agreed. "I'll see if I can get any good deals on flights and I'll let you know when I'll fly back to Albuquerque."

That would be one interesting trip.

* * *

Ok, so we have now seen Troy, Chad, Gabriella, and Taylor again. You have a faint idea what's going on in their lives. Troy's pretty content, he and Gabriella are supposedly dating, Chad's got a secret, and Taylor's still a stubborn head. Well not everyone can change can they? xD Oh come on, I have to kid around with characters or people at some point. So who will be next? Hm, I wonder. So here will be the big mysterious questions asked in a deep voice with a blank background and dramatic music: **What is the secret? Is Troy planning something? What else will we learn about the characters? Where could this be going from here? Will ever flashback be a short two-minute lame-ish clip from HSM3? And what other questions can be asked to the readers?** See, even used Bold for dramatic effect. =P Ok, I know you guys had enough now. I'll shut up till the next chapter is uploaded.


	4. Chapter 3

Ok this is probably another short-ish chapter. You know which characters are being reintroduced now. There's also gonna be a couple of minor characters which I hope spices things up a bit. It's probably still gonna leave you with questions but remember, it all starts out slow. It's gotta slowly build up to everything, you know? Problem is, i gotta figure out what goes in the next chapter after this one. xD I've got the whole story in my head, it's just a matter of putting it all down and actually writing one thing leading to the next, you know?  
Ok so once again I don't own HSM or any of its characters. Although I made a couple of minor ones up.

* * *

"Oh come on boys, don't let the girls outshine your voices. This is the senior chorus, not a contest where boys get their butts kicked by girls' voices."

Sharpay Evans' voice echoed through auditorium in East High. She looked like she hadn't changed a bit since she started taking over the drama department. Her hair was still long and blond and her clothes were always top-notch. And pink, don't forget four out of the five days (or three out of five if she wasn't feeling that well) she had to wear a pink outfit. But there was no more time for a school production except for the one the seniors would put on; Sharpay was focusing most of her attention on the chorus.

She could hear plenty of moans coming from the students. They were practicing the same song for a half an hour and sounded tired.

"Please, can we take a break?" one girl sighed. Her skin tone and brown eyes looked incredibly similar to someone else's that Sharpay knew of. She was a bit on the skinny side and a little tall, and her dark brown hair sometimes appeared black in a certain lighting was past shoulder length and at times had a slight wave to it. "Come on we can't keep singing the same song over and over again and I can't bounce back without some caffeine like I could four years ago."

The two other girls in the chorus giggled. One of them was on the shorter side with straight blond hair and pale skin and the other one had brunette hair that once again looked familiar to someone Sharpay had known. Her skin was a bit darker though, and at times she spoke with a slight Spanish accent.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Geez could you be any more lazy?" she asked the first girl. "You have to be like your brother that way."

She rolled her eyes in frustration. "Please, don't even get me started on how many times in one day I wanna flip that guy." She muttered.

"Whatever. Look just take a ten then." Sharpay gave in.

The students on the stage dispersed and Sharpay's fraternal twin brother Ryan Evans walked in with a bag on his shoulder and a hat on his head as usual. Sure Ryan was a bit on the feminine side, but when he grew up with a sister like Sharpay who could blame him?

"Guess that means I still have to wait backstage for you to finish with the group, huh?" he assumed. Ryan was more of a choreographer when it came to the theater department but he and Sharpay still worked closely together. Plus sometimes he was stuck being her ride home.

Sharpay ran her hand down her face. "Why did I have to get stuck with a Danforth in the group?"

"Hey don't start comparing siblings again." Ryan said. "Believe me, if I had a nickel for every time someone compared me to you…"

"You'd be a lot richer without that hat emporium you keep trying to open." Sharpay finished for him with a giggle.

"Hey don't crush my dreams of selling perfectly good hats to the public now." Ryan sighed.

"Or else you'll do what if I don't stop?" Sharpay inquired.

Ryan smirked at his sister. "I'll blab to your students early about the you-know-what on your you-know-where."

"Ryan!" Sharpay gasped dramatically. "You are not telling my students yet!"

"Oh come on, most of them are graduating this year." Ryan sighed. "You have to tell them the good news. You already told Troy."

"Yeah well Troy isn't as big a blabbermouth as you sometimes." Sharpay replied.

"Gee thanks a lot." He muttered sarcastically.

"What up Evans twins?" Troy asked as he stepped into the auditorium. Like Sharpay, it was as though Troy never left East High. He had the same stunning blue eyes and his hair was styled the same way. The main thing that changed was his body. Hey, he'd gotten more muscular. He winked and teased Sharpay, "Soon-to-be-Baylor."

Sharpay nearly slapped Troy. "You'll give it all away!" she gasped quietly.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." Troy replied sarcastically. "Anyway, I came by to get Gabriella's cousin. And I could borrow Chad's sister for a minute too."

"Where were you the past…" Ryan asked. He paused to count his fingers, trying to remember the number, "…ten-ish years? That's how long Chad and Sharon haven't gotten along."

"Trust me, I know. She still flips him on a daily basis." Troy replied.

"Troy, you weren't working today. Why should I give you two of my students when one of them is related to your girlfriend?" Sharpay replied.

"Gabriella told me that Stella's car still isn't done yet so she'll need a ride home. So I told Gabriella I'd bring Stella home and then eat dinner with them." Troy answered with a shrug. "And I need to talk to Sharon about Chad. I know something's up with the guy."

"We're all in the middle of a very important rehearsal." Sharpay replied.

"Ah, cut him a break Shar." Ryan suggested. "Come on, a half hour of the same song? And really, I have to get home soon. I invited Kelsi for dinner and you know how hard it is to hang out with her nowadays."

"Oh you mean your new sister." Sharpay huffed.

"Second sister." Ryan replied. Just because Ryan and Kelsi got along so well didn't mean that much, at least to some people. To Ryan Kelsi was like his second sister…the one he could stand and didn't argue with all the time. He loved her like that. Like a sister, he means.

"Now about those girls?" Troy asked, interrupting the sibling moment.

Sharpay sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "Montez, get your stuff together. Your ride's here. Danforth, visitor. You got five minutes." Sharpay rubbed her head again. "I'm getting my water bottle." She headed backstage.

Troy raised an eyebrow at Ryan. And Ryan didn't want to be near any awkward situations; he had a feeling this was going to be one of them. "You know, I think I'm gonna head to the men's room. Let me know when it's safe to come out." He walked out of the auditorium.

"What do you want this time Troy?" Sharon asked as she walked over. "It's not about my stupid brother is it?"

"I just need to know what's going on with him." Troy said. "You're his sister. Like the only family he's got left. And I know Chad has stuff on his mind lately."

"Lately?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "He's had things on his mind for years, Troy. And that's really saying something because he has no mind."

"Ok, this is one of the reasons why people don't get how you're related." Troy stated.

It was true. There was about a ten year age difference between Chad and Sharon, but the two of them never got along. Chad was always doing sports, having problems with girls, and not being that smart. He was one of the class jokesters and never took much seriously. Sharon was a lot of things Chad wasn't. Yes, she was athletic and yes their physical features such as skin and eyes were identical. But Sharon was also smart and she was a bit into theater. She hated performing on stage, but she had the talent of singing and dancing. But she was very serious and not usually in a good mood. Just a naturally mean person. And she could care less about romance; she found it disgusting, actually. But they were both filled with energy; it was seen with Sharon when she danced and Chad on the basketball court.

"You do realize that siblings share only about fifty percent of their parent's DNA right? Therefore there's hardly anything similar between siblings, especially when their interests are completely different." She said.

"Ok don't go acting all smarty-pants on me." Troy said. "I'm just saying, I think Chad's hiding something. What does he do at home?"

"Other than make me threaten to throw him out the window?" she shrugged. "Take care of some kid."

Troy blinked. So there was someone else involved! "A kid?" Troy repeated, confused.

"Hey I don't know all the details and I could care less. I've got better things to do than deal with my brother. If I were eighteen already, I would have moved away from him." Sharon replied.

"But you're not." Troy said. "Now really, who's this kid?"

"Don't ask me, I stay away from them as much as possible. Why do you think I spend so much time at school?" she shrugged.

"Because you're a smart allec, stubborn, mean, a show-off and a stoic robot?" Troy answered, even though that with most of those being true he was still being sarcastic.

"I'm outta here." She rolled her eyes. She walked back over to the chorus.

By that time Stella was walking over to Troy. She was like a younger Gabriella even though they were cousins. But Gabriella was also Stella's godmother so the two of them were really close. Stella was naturally smart like Gabriella, but didn't want to put every second of her time into her studies or a relationship. Granted, she did get crushes like most other girls, but she also had a passion for theater. She wanted to be up on stage and entertain people. Stella was a polite girl and took what she got and worked with it. She could also just take things the wrong way, making her sensitive sometimes.

"What was that about?" she wondered.

"Weird sibling rivalry between my best friend and his sister who could care less." Troy replied. "Really, I don't get them sometimes."

"I don't get how one of the boys on the chorus has a crush on her either. She always ends up throwing him off the stage." Stella admitted.

Troy blinked. Who's idea was it to let that girl have karate lessons or something when she was five? "I'm not gonna ask." He decided, shaking his head. "So, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." Stella nodded. "My parents are out of town on a business meeting so I'm staying at Gabriella's for the week. She's talking a lot about her senior year here and is really looking forward to my graduation. She said that since she graduated here and we're related she might even be able to hand me the diploma on graduation day."

"That would really be something special." Troy agreed. He remembered when his dad still worked as a coach at East High; one of the happiest moments in Troy's life was when he got to accept the diploma from his father.

"Gabriella's also been talking about you a lot." Stella stated as she got in Troy's truck. Stella liked Troy; he seemed like a really good guy for her cousin. And she knew how much Gabriella liked him. Or loved, but wouldn't admit it. "Are you guys gonna make some special plans?"

"Like…?" Troy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like give her the big ring?" Stella finished.

Troy chuckled nervously. "Not yet, Stel." He replied as he turned on the engine. "I've got a few other things on my plate to think about. I know the summer's just basically starting, not to mention you're like a month or less away from graduating now, but I also wanna get the community theater up and running. You know, so we could maybe do a summer production to celebrate."

"That'll really be something great Troy." Stella nodded. "And then when that play's done with, then you can ask Gabriella to marry you."

"Ok, can we take a break with the idea of marriage?" Troy asked.

"Sorry." Stella apologized. "I know you wanna ask her."

"Believe me, I know I do too." Troy confessed. "But let's just keep that between us, ok? I don't want to jump into anything right away."

"But you wouldn't be." Stella said.

"I don't wanna rush anything either. Besides, I'd also like to do it when all of our friends are together." Troy replied. "I wanna have the phone right by me so I can call Chad and tell him when that big news does happen even though he'll be in the next room, and I know Gabriella's gonna wanna call her best friend and let her know. But if she's not at least somewhere in New Mexico then how are they gonna have a girl's night to celebrate?"

"You really don't get the female mind sometimes Troy, do you?" Stella inquired.

"Again, can we keep it to ourselves?" Troy said.

"Alright, we can do that." She nodded. "But I'm just saying, you should ask her soon. I know she'll say yes in a heartbeat. But I also know you wanna make sure you don't mess it up."

"Thanks for that reminder." Troy muttered.

Stella giggled. "I couldn't resist."

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"So glad today was my early day." Gabriella sighed contently with relief as she flipped channels on her television. All she had to do was wait for Troy and Stella to get home then. Gabriella could have easily gotten her cousin, but Troy insisted. Besides, Gabriella loved her cousin. She liked to see her and Troy bond. She just wished Stella wouldn't tease them so much; she sounded like a little kid that way. In a cute way, sort of.

Gabriella continued flipping channels until she landed on the N. Hey, who could go wrong with teen shows right? Besides it was better than the talk shows and soap operas that seemed to be on excessively at this time of day. But she had to put the TV on mute when she heard the phone ring.

"Hello?" she asked, answering it.

"I'm coming to New Mexico this Thursday!" Taylor exclaimed from the other line.

"No way!" Gabriella gasped. She squealed and then Taylor squealed and it went back and forth like that for two minutes. They ended up laughing at how giddy they sounded. "Start talking Tay! Details." Gabriella urged.

"Well I was trying to get back in the dating world like you forced me to when, wouldn't you know it, the crazy professor at Oxford with his eyes on me tried to put on the big move." Taylor explained. "He was trying all these weird tactics of getting to me. And then when he actually almost had his way somehow, this really cute guy comes to help me."

"A cute guy?" Gabriella gasped.

"A _really_ cute guy!" Taylor exclaimed. "He actually got that crazy professor off my back. And then we started talking, and he teaches at Oxford, too! The English department!"

"Shut up!" Gabriella gasped.

"So we had some coffee and we started talking and then he said he was going to travel to New Mexico to see some family. And when I told him my high school reunion was there he smiled and said, 'maybe I'll see you there then'." Taylor finished with a grin.

"Tay, that's amazing!" Gabriella exclaimed. "I think you finally found your guy!"

"Only time will tell Gabriella. And I've got three whole months for time." She replied.

"So would you take him to the reunion?" Gabriella wondered.

"Are you kidding? It'd probably be too awkward for him." Taylor replied. "I'm going to come and see what happens."

"You can stay with me if you want to avoid a hotel." Gabriella offered. "My cousin's only staying till the end of the week, so there'll be room for you. And if you do happen to run into him while you're here…"

"I'll bring him over." Taylor finished with a smile.

"See Tay?" she asked. "Things are finally starting to turn around."

* * *

I was debating on whether or not to put a flashback in this chapter. But I couldn't think of one that fit, so I skipped it. But as everyone starts to meet up again more flashbacks will come up. It's just trying to give you the feeling that some people sorta kinda keep in touch and others haven't talked in a while. Well if some of them work in similar areas then of course they're gonna know each other, right? Well aside from the debate on whether or not to put a flashback in this chapter I was also making debates about Taylor's story to Gabriella. The questionwas, should it be an insta-romance thing, or should that slowly build up, too? So I decided to keep it slow for now and whatever you guys wanna see, I'll put it in. Do you think it'll cause more drama if you want it? Do you think it'll be more fighting if you want it? I don't know what you guys wanna read, that's why I ask. XDDD Ok, guess that's my cue to brainstorm for the next chapter then. 


	5. Chapter 4

Yup, I'm putting up another chapter tonight. I'm still trying to figure out what happens for the reunion and everything. But I know it'll hit me, I just need that certain thing of brain power, you know? Well either way I'll work something out. I'm hoping this chapter turns out a little longer than the first few. It's kind of used to give an insight on Chad's life right now since we have a faint idea of a few of the others. And yes, there is a flashback in this chapter. You'll know when it starts cause it'll be in italics. But you already knew that, right? Good.  
Once again I do not own HSM or any of its characters. Just the ones i made up.

* * *

Chad walked into his house with a bag of groceries the next night. He had only bee gone for fifteen minutes or so, so much to his sister's dismay she had to watch the kid in the house. "I'm home!"

Sharon rolled her eyes and walked into the living room. "What took you so long? I can't stand around watching your kid forever." she said, her hands on her hips.

"Sorry ok? But it's not my fault I couldn't take someone with me since he had homework to do." Chad replied, putting the bag on the counter in the kitchen.

"Gees does that girl rub off on you or what?" Sharon asked.

"What are you talking about?" Chad replied, not making eye contact with his sibling.

"It's been what, nine or ten years." Sharon answered. "You'd think you'd move on by now. That's how you got the kid isn't it?"

"It's none of your business alright? You don't need to know about my outside life and I don't need to know about yours. That's how it's always been and that's how it's gonna stay." Chad insisted as he started putting food away.

"Well it would stick a whole lot better if I could get out on my own already. I'm starting college next year. You can't keep me in here and I was never planning on staying local anyway." Sharon replied.

"Well then you'd better make sure you get at least a half scholarship somewhere, cause that's the only way you can go anywhere." Chad informed her. "We don't have that much extra money to spend."

"What about the funds for college Mom and Dad started saving up for when I was two?" she asked. "That built up for twelve years. There's at least a thousand or so bucks in there. We can use that. Look we were barely in each others' lives before, why do you gotta be all up in my face now?"

"Because if I'm not then no one else will." Chad answered. He closed the fridge and eyes his sister. "Trust me, I'm hating all of this just as much as you. There isn't a day that goes by where I wish something could be done differently so that we wouldn't be living like this."

"You really are stupid aren't you?" Sharon rolled her eyes. "Wake up and smell the 711 slushies. No matter how much you think about it, nothing would have changed."

"That depends. What flavor are we talkin?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Well personally I prefer the watermelon with a little mixture of the soda.... Wait a minute, what am I saying?" Sharon gasped. "You're missing the point."

"And you're buying like five slushies a day from that place." Chad replied.

"Hey when a girl needs energy a girl needs energy. They're addicting." she shrugged. "Just be glad that's all I'm addicted to. What do you want me to do, take up smoking?"

"Don't you dare think about it." he glared at her and shook his head. "Then your chances of getting into a good college would really be down the drain. And imagine the example you'd be setting. Not to mention the dangers of second hand smoking."

"Wow, you actually paid attention in health class from way back when." she said sarcastically. "That chick really did grow on you."

Chad slammed his hand on the counter. "You'd better watch your mouth about her."

"Well I'm not the one who screwed things up with her then am I?" she questioned, folding her arms.

Chad was silent for a minute. He looked down at the counter top and thought back to the summer of their senior year, just days before she was leaving for college.

_The sun was shining through the windows. It was a beautiful Monday afternoon and the weather was just as warm as any other summer day in New Mexico. Chad was in his girlfriend's bedroom gently laying on top of her in her bed with only their shirts removed. They were gently kissing each other, one of her hands around his middle and the other one around his back and her hand going through his hair. Chad's hand was on one of her arms and his other hand kept rubbing her cheek and moving hair out of her face. Well what else were they supposed to do when college for them started in a matter of days? Chad may have been staying home for college but she wasn't. That hurt Chad inside._

_He had been debating it for weeks, even months now. His gut kept telling him that they couldn't have a long distance relationship. Theirs wasn't meant to last past high school. In his mind Chad knew that was what would happen. But he couldn't let himself believe it. He didn't want it to end. He would talk with Troy for weeks trying to figure it out. Troy would be close enough to Gabriella to continue their relationship, but where would that leave Chad with his? The more he thought about it the more reluctant he was to end it. And he thought he had it all planned out. Chad was going to break up with her a little bit after graduation so he could get it over with. He tried to do that, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. So he kept putting it off and putting it off but it never fell through. Chad just couldn't break up with her._

_So now there they were, kissing in her bedroom just days before she'd have to leave. Chad wished that it wouldn't end, that she could stay here or he could go with her somehow. But he knew that it wasn't possible. He could never get into the school she did. It was an Ivy League college; he didn't even have half the brains to get in. As much as he wished there were another way, he knew there wasn't._

_Chad slowly pulled away from her, breaking the kiss. He remained on top of her and just stared into her eyes. "I'm really gonna miss this." he whispered. "What am I gonna do without you?"_

_"I'm sure your basketball will replace me just fine." she whispered back. Even though it was meant to be a joke, neither of them were laughing._

_"It's not gonna be the same." Chad shook his head. "Take me with you?"_

_"I can't." she replied sadly._

_Chad just shook his head gently. "Don't leave me Tay." he whispered as he went in to kiss her again._

_"I'm sorry." she apologized once she was able to speak again. "There's no other way."_

_He kissed her again, not wanting to hear it. But he knew it was the truth. He finally stopped and rested his forehead on Taylor's. "This is why we should've broken up sooner."_

_"What are you talking about?" she asked._

_"If we ended it after graduation then we wouldn't be clinging onto each other right now." Chad answered._

_"Sorry for wanting to spend the rest of my time here with you." Taylor replied sarcastically. "You know this really isn't the time to bring any of this up."_

_"So when were we supposed to bring it up? The airport?" Chad asked._

_"You really are clueless aren't you?" she asked, squirming out from underneath him._

_Chad sat up so she could move. "You think I wanna do this?"_

_"Well sorry, if I knew you didn't want to come over so we could spend my last two days here together I wouldn't have called." Taylor retorted._

_"I didn't mean that." Chad said quickly._

_"Right, you were just talking about the kissing thing. I forgot, single guys don't kiss girls they aren't dating." Taylor replied coolly._

_"What happened to that moment we were having a minute and a half ago?" Chad asked._

_"I think it disintegrated into the air like everything else in this room." Taylor answered simply, but clearly with an icy tone. She got up off the bed and put her shirt back on._

_"What disintegrated in here?" Chad asked, getting up and facing her._

_"Our relationship, that's what." she retorted. She picked up Chad's shirt and pushed it onto his chest. "This might be a good time for you to leave, I've got packing to do."_

_"And you're not even gonna let me finish?" Chad asked._

_"There's nothing to finish." Taylor argued. "If I knew you were going to be like this I would have suggested a breakup before we even graduated. But I guess you'd just make a fuss about that, too."_

_"Because I don't want to break up." Chad replied._

_"Well if you didn't want to then you wouldn't have even started implying it." she retorted._

_"You know what, you're putting up the same fight you did six months ago." Chad raised his voice a little._

_"And even then it would have been a good idea to break up. What were you even thinking when you practically forced me to go through what I did?" Taylor questioned, clearly irritated._

_"I was thinking that I didn't wanna lose you." he answered._

_"Yeah well you don't have to worry about losing me anymore. Because come this Wednesday I'm gone and you won't have to worry about me anymore." Taylor informed him._

_"Tay..." Chad started._

_"You've got till the count of three to leave my room and get out of my house." Taylor warned him. "I'm talking straight one to three. No fractions, no decimals, no nothing in between. So by the time I hit three I'd better see you out of my room or hear you close the front door on your way out of my house and out of my life."_

_"Do you even hear what's coming out of your mouth woman?" Chad demanded._

_Taylor stood her ground, refusing to let the emotions she was feeling show. "One."_

_"So what, it's just gonna end like this forever then?" he asked._

_"Two." she said, even louder now._

_Chad just stared at Taylor and shook his head. "I don't even know why I bother." he muttered. Not even bothering to put his shirt back on, he turned his back to her and stormed out of her room._

_"Three!" she yelled just as he walked out. A few seconds after she yelled three she heard the front door slam behind Chad. Taylor groaned to herself, trying to figure out why she ever put up with that boy. She covered her face with her hands in frustration and let them slide back down to her side. She sat down on the bed in an angry manner and put her hand on her forehead, her black bangs covering that hand. She shook her head and breathed heavily, even still trying to keep her emotions bottled up when no one was around to see them._

_And Chad just stayed outside leaning up against the door. He had his arms folded and his shirt in one of his hands. He was breathing just as heavily, trying to replace the sadness in his eyes with anger. He bit his tongue and remained where he was, just hoping that if he waited long enough then Taylor would rush out to him and say what a mistake this was. Chad knew she had to do that since she clearly kicked him out of her house. But even after ten minutes passed Chad was still out there alone. Any hope of Taylor following him out was gone. He picked up his head to look in the direction of her bedroom window one more time. He stared at it and took a single step forward, for that moment thinking about going back. But then he took that step back, knowing she'd just kick him out again. He sighed and looked at the ground shaking his head. Chad slowly turned around and walked away._

"Ok you know what, you're right. You're not the one who messed things up with the best thing to ever happen to you." Chad finally agreed when he snapped out of his flashback. "And you should be glad you're not interested in any dating scene. Cause then you can't get your heart stomped on and broken."

"Heads up genius, you put it back together." Sharon informed him. "If you didn't then you'd be kicking me out of the house and not caring, not to mention living completely on your own with no friends and drowning your sorrows in anything ice cream or beer related."

"Why are you even telling me all of this?" Chad asked. "You never even liked her. You two stared each other down every time she stepped into my house."

"Dingus, Dad never liked her either. Only Mom did and who knows why." she replied.

"What, you been watching Family Guy or the Simpsons again?" Chad asked. "Never mind." he shook his head before she could answer. Sharon rolled her eyes as Chad paced. "Look, we can't keep arguing over a relationship that doesn't exist anymore." Chad finally said. "There's no hope of it ever getting back together."

"But clearly there was another relationship after that if you've got an eight year old in his room upstairs." Sharon stated.

"Like I said you don't know anything about my love life." Chad shook his head, refusing to tell her anything about it. "All you need to know is that any eight year old that lives under my roof needs me. And as much as you hate to admit it, until you do move out to college you need me, too. Nowhere near as much, but you still do."

"Only to finish temporarily providing me with a living space and such." she told him. "And FYI, I've at least gotten a little more used to it after two years. But it doesn't mean that I think more of you than I do now. As far as I'm concerned you're just some brother I'm stuck with until whenever. And if I was eighteen I could take care of myself."

"Trust me, you're more than capable of that." Chad said. "But you don't turn eighteen till September and by then you'll already be in college. So by then you can get an apartment by whatever school you go to or something."

"I know what I'm going to do. You don't need to tell me everything." Sharon replied. "And remember there is one main difference between me going to college and when you went to college." She watched as Chad finished putting the food away and her voice only softened a smidgen. "Mom and Dad were actually around."

Chad leaned over the sink and stopped what he was doing. As much as he hated to agree with his sister, he knew she was right. This just happened to be one of the rare moments when they didn't look like they'd bite each other's heads off.

"I'm gonna head out somewhere. Don't wait up for me ok?" Sharon said. "I'll flip you before breakfast tomorrow to make up for the loss tonight."

Great. His sister grabbing him by the wrist and practically tossing him over her to land hard on the floor on his back. He looked forward to those moments. Not.

"Guess I'll have to hold you to that." he muttered as he heard Sharon walk out and close the door behind her. He sighed and walked out of the kitchen. Chad slowly stepped up to the stairs and walked to a room where the door was closed. He opened it slowly and quietly only to see a little boy writing in some books on the floor. He was small for his age and had carmel-like skin. He had little hair on his head and the hair he did have was black in color. And his eyes were a shade of hazel. Chad sighed quietly and leaned up against the door. All he could do was watch the little boy work. What he felt back about was that if he ever needed help with homework Chad couldn't do much. It was times like this that Chad still wished he had Taylor. They could have started a family together. But if they hadn't ended it, Chad wouldn't be looking at the little boy right now.

"How's your homework coming Dill?" he finally asked.

The boy picked his head up and looked in Chad's direction. "Ok, I guess." he said quietly. "Can you help me?"

Chad looked at him sadly and walked over. He sat down and gently rubbed the boy's head. "I wish I could Dylan." he apologized.

"Can't I get a mom to help?" Dylan asked quietly.

"Not right now." Chad shook his head apologetically. "But I promise, you will get one. Just don't wish for it any time soon." He saw Dylan nod and then tried to lighten up the mood. "Hey how about we go watch some cartoons downstairs? And then when it's time for dessert I'll make us some popcorn."

"Ok Dad." Dylan nodded. He stood up and ran downstairs.

Chad sighed as he watched the kid leave. _I wish he wouldn't call me that._ he thought. _I don't think he could make me feel any guiltier._

* * *

Ok so this is the end of this chapter. I had a few hard times coming up with names for the little kid. So I pulled out one of my notebooks and on the last page in it I had a ton of names listed that take up practically the whole page. There's like thirty or forty boys and girls names in there. So I was looking through them and trying to figure out which one would be good. I wanted it to be a name that people could picture Chad calling his kid, you know? Now did you really think I'd give away the secret that easily? Tsk tsk tsk, you know there's more to it than just knowing the outside sketch. You'll find out about it all in due time. Unless I'm just trying to throw you off course in these author's notes. But you won't know yet will you? 0=)


	6. Chapter 5

Ok so this is the next chapter. I got a late start on it today cause I got distracted watching "The Return of Jafar" on youtube. Don't ask why, I was bored and had the urge to watch it. Plus there was nothing better to do. Anyway I think this is gonna be the chapter that ties everything in together and ultimately leads up to the reunion or something. You'll know for sure when you read it. I'm thinking of maybe doing a poll for the story or something cause I had an idea before and then I forgot it. Don't you hate it when that happens? So, yeah.  
Anyway, here's the chapter. Remember I don't own HSM or the characters. But still that would be so cool!

* * *

"Get that camera out of my face!" Sharpay yelled to one of her students. "I'm trying to get everything together for this thing and you keep filming every second of it."

"No, not every second of it." The short African American male, Johnny Brunnel, shook his head which caused his semi-curly black hair to sway back and forth rapidly. "I've only got fifteen minutes of power left before I have to recharge it."

Sharpay moaned and went back to the banner she was working on.

Stella walked over carrying a couple of different boxes. "Where do you want these Ms. Evans?" she asked.

"Just put them on the side for now alright? I don't have time to deal with this." Sharpay sighed.

"Oh c'mon Shar, she's only trying to help. And Johnny's just trying to lighten up the mood a little." Ryan shrugged as he looked over the list of everything they needed.

"So remind me again why out of my six chorus students only two of them are here today?" Sharpay grunted.

"Well Marco had to help out as his cousin's coffee shop today, Charlotte had some kind of dance practice, Sharon could care less..." Ryan responded.

"I was being hypothetical." Sharpay muttered. "But we need all the help we can get. And all we've got are you me, Montez' naive little cousin, and the crazy hyperactive kid."

"Troy's helping out, too." Ryan shrugged. "He's cleaning out the gym right now. You know that's mainly where everyone's gonna be."

"So remind me again who you're still in contact with from high school?" Stella wondered curiously.

"Why do you need to worry about that when you need to be concerned with helping us set up?" Sharpay questioned.

"I'm just wondering." she shrugged. "We're graduating in less than a month, too. I'd like to know what might lay ahead for our class, like if it's going to be the same as yours and Gabriella's."

"Always thinking ahead." Ryan chuckled. "She's definitely related to Gabriella."

"We don't have time to stroll down memory lane." Sharpay rolled her eyes. "I'm going to the gym and scout everything in there, maybe get vision of where this banner should go. You three keep working." She stood up and walked out of the auditorium.

"So does that mean you're going to tell us how you changed after high school, Mr. Ryan?" Stella inquired.

Ryan had often told his students to call him that so they wouldn't somehow mix him and his sister up. Ryan knew it wouldn't matter anyway since it was only a matter of time before they started calling Sharpay Mrs. Baylor instead of Ms. Evans. But Ryan always thought Mr. Evans was too formal for him anyway. Too much like his dad's business and whatnot.

"You know we really should keep working. Or someone's gonna have our heads and nothing's gonna be ready in time." Ryan suggested.

"How about we listen to you while you guys work?" Johnny suggested.

"And what are you going to do, John?" Ryan asked.

"I'll record everything and then start working while my camera recharges." Johnny shrugged. "C'mon, there's only ten minutes left on it."

Ryan sighed. "I'll start working on that poster I was making. Stella, go through the boxes and use my checklist to see what we have in there that's not checked off yet. Johnny, when you're done start going over the names to confirm who's going to be here." he told them.

The teens nodded and did exactly as they were told. Of course while Stella started working Johnny just zoomed in on Ryan's face with his camcorder.

"Well obviously my sister and I are still together. We got really close even though we went to different colleges. It's a twin thing, you know?" Ryan started. "And since she's been working here for a few years already she suggested we team up and make this school's drama department even better than it is, take it to the next level."

"How cool, getting to work side by side with your sister all day." Stella's eyes sparkled at the thought.

"And obviously we're both still good buds with Mr. Troy Bolton." Ryan added. The two knew Troy as a gym teacher type person, so if he worked there then of course he'd still know Sharpay and Ryan. "We have lunch in the faculty room any chance we get."

"So you still know my cousin Gabriella then?" Stella wondered. "Since she and Troy are dating and all?"

"Well we're not as close as we used to be." Ryan admitted. "And we know how busy it can be for all of us sometimes so we don't talk to her excessively. But Troy always tells us how she's doing and how their relationship's going. And then there's Chad. He and troy are still like bro's but he and Sharpay don't exactly talk anymore. They never got along much anyway. But I hang out with Chad from time to time. We make plans to watch the world series together or something, since we're both into baseball but he usually finds a way to cancel. So we barely talk anymore."

"Wait I'm lost." Johnny said. "Who's Sharpay?"

Ryan rolled his eyes. He was joking, right? "Anyway," he continued, "Zeke and my sister are super close. Close like you have no idea." Ryan was trying to be careful with his wording, since Sharpay still wanted it to be on the downlow. So far only Ryan and Troy knew of her engagement.

"Wait, Zeke as in the owner of 'Zekery'?" Stella asked, thinking of Albuquerque's most famous bakery. "Ms. Evans is dating the owner of 'Zekery'?"

Ryan bit his tongue. Stella had no idea how close she was. And if Ryan opened his mouth he was going to give it away. Luckily Ryan made a quick change to move onto the next person he could think of. "Then there's Kelsi. She and I are really close, like my second sister. We send emails to each other and everything but she's always got something on her plate. So we can only get together half as much as we want to, if we're lucky. And most of us have completely lost contact with Taylor since she went off to Oxford to teach. Only Gabriella stays in contact with her now."

"You had a lot of friends in high school, didn't you?" Johnny asked.

"Hey shouldn't you be putting that camera away and going over that list?" Ryan raised an eyebrow.

Johnny sighed reluctantly, knowing he couldn't argue with a teacher. He plugged the camcorder in to recharge and then looked over the list of who was coming.

Ryan picked up a few paints and started adding a few more touches to his banner. "But remember guys, just because my classmates and I don't talk as much as we used to doesn't mean it'll happen with you guys, too." he said.

"Yeah, but it's still cool to hear about it and compare high school then to how it is now." Stella said.

"And it looks like half of your class has their names checked off to arrive, too." Johnny added. "There's only one person on the first page who isn't checked off. Looks like his name's Jason."

Ryan stopped painting and slowly put the brush down. "Jason Cross huh?" he asked. "I haven't heard that name in years."

"You didn't bring him up with your other friends either." Stella added. "Did he do something really bad?"

"No. But someone else did." Ryan said.

_About half or so of the seniors from East High stood or sat waiting in the waiting room at the hospital. It had all happened so fast for them, they couldn't believe it. Ryan had only recently come out to wait with them, since all the drama had him fainting. Yes it was true, as soon as he saw the scene of what had happened at East High during the party he took one long look at everything and completely fainted. To say the least, Sharpay was relieved that she hadn't lost her brother. She was glad that it was only him freaking out instead of what had happened to the others. They had gotten word on Chad not too long ago. Troy and Taylor had gone into seem him and from what the students found out, he would live. There was another student who was injured, Martha Cox. Ryan could remember hearing the news about her. She had dreams to be a dancer even though she had one of the highest GPA's in school. But something had happened with her leg; sure, she would live through it and she was doing alright, but there would also be a lot of physical therapy or something. Ryan couldn't exactly remember._

_But he was almost ready to faint again, thinking of two good friends who were back there instead of waiting in the room. Martha's leg was injured that badly she might have to give up on her dream. Ryan got along with Martha really well; when Ryan was showing everyone the dance moves for the spring musical, Martha was one of the girls that picked up on everything really quickly. She was like an assistant to Ryan. She didn't deserve what she was going through now. She was a good student; she had done nothing wrong. And really, what did Chad do to be back there? Maybe he was only hit at the edge of his arm or something but he was still injured. If Ryan recalled correctly, Chad was one of the first people to realize what was going to happen. He was only rushing to everyone else to warn them, but never got a chance to. He was practically unconscious throughout the whole fiasco._

_But that wasn't even the worst of it. The one they were waiting on more than any other was Jason. He was one of the students hurt the worst because he was got in the chest. Ryan wasn't even too far from Jason when he saw the whole thing. Jason was having the time of his life at the party, so happy that he had graduated. Sure, while everyone would start college he might have to get a later start, but he was out of high school and he had worked his hardest for that. Jason deserved to party it up. He was with Kelsi and Martha when it happened; when Jason and Martha were struck it was amazing that Kelsi didn't get hit. But Ryan was grabbing them each some drinks when it first broke out. One minute he saw Jason goofing off with the girls and laughing, having a blast. The next Ryan could hear something and could swear he saw something fly through the air at such a high speed. He could see Jason get hit and only stood there in fear as he dropped the drinks to the ground. Martha's body soon followed. Matter of fact, it was amazing that Ryan didn't get hit either. But in a way he felt like he did; it felt like he got stabbed in the heart instead of shot in it._

_Ryan was now sitting next to his sister in the waiting room with the other Wildcats. His fingers were laced together and his chin was resting on his hands. He could feel his sister rubbing his back._

_"It's ok Ryan. Chad and Martha are alright. We got word on five of the other students, too. They survived." she said softly._

_Ryan didn't think he'd ever hear Sharpay sound scared. But he could hear the tone in her voice. They had been in so many productions and were such good actors that even when they weren't acting it was hard to know when their emotions were real or not. But Sharpay's were a hundred percent real. And Ryan could hear that better than anyone now._

_"But what about the others? What about Jason?" Ryan asked, looking at Sharpay from the corner of his eye. "You didn't see him get hit like I did."_

_"I'm sure he wasn't the only one hit in the chest, Ryan." Sharpay said. "One of the students that we found out survived was hit in the chest too, and he's just fine."_

_"But he's not Jason." Ryan replied. "I was right there Sharpay. I saw him and Martha get hit. It was a miracle that Kelsi and I weren't. Do you know what it was like to watch that horror? You were ducked down in cover burying your head in Zeke's shoulder the whole time so you didn't see. But I did. And it was horrible." He looked down at the floor tiles, his head going back in his hands._

_Sharpay slowly looked around the waiting room at her classmates. Ok maybe they all weren't classmates anymore, but it still felt like they were. And Sharpay could see the worried looks on their faces. There were two in particular that Sharpay could see guilt on, or at least two that felt as guilty as Ryan must have been right now. Taylor was with Chad when he was struck. And if Chad didn't push her down she would have been hit, too. And Kelsi was even closer to Jason and Martha than Ryan was when it happened. She saw it happen close up. If Ryan thought what he saw was horrible, Sharpay could only imagine what Kelsi was feeling right now._

_"I'm sure you're not the only one, Ry." Sharpay whispered._

_There was a few moments of silence before one of the doctors came into the room. "Jason Cross." he said._

_Ryan's head shot up. That was the one he was waiting on the most. Now Ryan and Jason were never really close, matter of fact they never really talked much. But Ryan was relieved enough when he found out Martha was ok. Now he was wishing to God or whatever all mighty force watched over everyone that Jason would be diagnosed as alright as well. The other Wildcats picked their heads up as well. Troy was gripping Gabriella's hand tightly. After coming out from seeing Chad, Troy was only slightly relieved. Jason was a close friend to Troy, and the guy was relieved when one friend was fine; he had just as much hope as anyone else. Zeke looked just as concerned. He and Jason were best friends. Sharpay kept one hand on Ryan's back and put her other one on Zeke's shoulder knowing that both of them and most of the other students were at the edge of their seats. They were like that every time a doctor or nurse came out to report another one._

_But the doctor only hung his head down in disappointment. "We tried everything we could. He was injured too close to one of his vital organs. We tried everything we could think of and he was one of the cases we've spent the longest on today." he said solemnly. And then he uttered those final words that would really sting the teens, "We lost him."_

_Numerous gasps filled the room. It was so hard for everyone to believe that Jason was gone. Everyone else was fine up until now. They were only more scared of who would be next with the remainder of students being looked at. Troy's face fell fast and he put his head on Gabriella's shoulder. She clutched his hand tight and could only rub her head against his. Kelsi's hand immediately fell over her mouth. She sunk deeper into her seat, unable to believe that someone she had been standing right next to a couple of hours ago wasn't there anymore. Zeke was one of the most devestated. He leaned back an hit his head against the wall behind his seat. Sharpay tried to soothe him but Zeke only breathed heavily, wondering what to tell Jason's family when they would arrive. And Ryan could only hit head head against his hands. The guilt consumed him and he barely said anything for nearly a week._

"Ryan? Ryan?"

Sharpay's voice echoed through Ryan's head. He finally shook his head and came back to reality. He turned his head to see his sister now standing behind him.

"What were you doing Ryan? Staring into space again?" she questioned.

Ryan shook his head slightly. "Just doing a lot of thinking is all."

Sharpay only rolled her eyes. If she only knew the memory lingering in Ryan's head at the time. "So how much further did we get in here?" she asked.

"We have almost everything on the list to decorate the gym." Stella said, flashing the list. "But you still need to call to confirm the food for the reunion and all."

"And a lot of people are gonna be there. I've only found a small number of people who aren't checked off." Johnny added. He handed the list to Sharpay. She scanned it careful before flipping to the next page and so on. She huffed and rolled her eyes at one of the findings. "You've gotta be kidding." she muttered.

"What's wrong Ms. Evans?" Stella wondered.

"Just another reason for this girl to get on my nerves." Sharpay answered. "McKessie's name isn't checked off on this list. She was on the yearbook staff that year and student body president and she won't even come to the stinkin reunion? What is wrong with that chick?"

Ryan shook his head. He was just glad Sharpay didn't start cursing from her frustration; they were told that even after school or when they were in the building on weekends they can't curse in front of students.

"She's going to be staying with Gabriella for a while. I think she should be at the house soon." Stella offered. "I can ask her if she's going to come."

"You do that and get back to me tomorrow because that's when we really have to get everything together. You guys are lucky you've got a four day weekend." Sharpay replied. "Not get back to work, all three of you. And see who else you can bring in tomorrow to help put this thing together. We can't do this on our own you know. What do I have to do to get some decent help around here?" She stormed out of the auditorium to grab a bottle of water, knowing that she would need to calm down. Her frustration could be heard even as it trailed off into the hallway.

"Did she have too much caffeine?" Johnny wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"Just get back to work before she comes back if you want to live for your next meal involving caffeine." Ryan stated as he returned to the painting.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Gabriella sighed with relief as she walked into her house and stumbled onto the couch. She was exhausted after a long day of working. Ok, today her work was more revolved on fixing the computers in the restaurant. They hadn't been right all day. And every time they were fixed, five minutes later Gabriella would have to look them over again. It was like that for the majority of the day. She was lucky to even get orders in from two tables. Her co-workers praised her and everything and Gabriella tried to brush it all off like it was no big deal. But it was exhausting, for lack of a better word.

Gabriella personally hated being this tired. And when it came down to it, she did the only thing she could think of. Turn on the TV and flipped to a rated R romance movie or something. She didn't even pay full attention at first. Just when she started getting into the movie, she could hear a knock at the door and a familiar voice.

"Knock knock, enter enter." the feminine voice called.

Gabriella turned off the TV and sat up on the couch. Less than a minute later she squealed with joy as Taylor appeared from the other room. "OH EM GEE, Taylor you're here!" she gasped as she ran over to give her friend a hug. The girls screamed and jumped up and down, having a rather girlie moment. "What are you trying to do, sneak up on me?" Gabriella asked.

"Well that was my original intention but I guess you've foiled my plans." Taylor giggled.

"Oh man I can't believe you're here, you so have to tell me everything!" Gabriella insisted, playfully pulling her onto the couch.

"Hey!" Taylor gasped. "Can't a girl settle down with her best friend before being pummeled with twenty thousand questions?"

"Ok, ok." Gabriella gave in. "Let me help bring your stuff upstairs then. My cousin Stella is still in the guest room until this weekend, but I think I can squeeze you in my room."

"Gabriella you can fit three of us each in your bed." Taylor exaggerated. "But I'm not going to complain, if you want to throw me in your room, then lock me up and throw away the keys."

"Ok what has gotten you so giddy?" Gabriella asked as she helped take Taylor's suitcase upstairs.

"Let's just say I had a really nice flight in." Taylor smiled as she followed her friend.

"I'm liking the sound of that 'really nice flight'." Gabriella replied with a grin. She threw Taylor's suitcase into her room and dragged her back downstairs. "You can unpack later, I need to hear details."

"So that's all you want to hear about? The flight?" Taylor inquired. "What about Oxford or my neighbors or anything else that doesn't have to do with the guy?"

"So the guy _was_ on the flight!" Gabriella exclaimed. "Spill, girl. I wanna know everything. The who, what, when, where, why, and how!"

"Well obviously you know the when, why and how." Taylor replied. "Then when was when I called to you tell you what happened, which was also the how, and the why was because you pushed me out of the safety zone of my bachelorette life."

"Ok but that still doesn't answer everything." Gabriella said. "What about the who, what, and where?"

"You know the where was at Oxford." Taylor replied.

"And the who and the what?" Gabriella asked.

Taylor was about to respond when she heard the front door open. She could hear a girl calling, "I'm home."

"Your cousin?" Taylor assumed.

"Yup." Gabriella nodded. "We're in here Stel." she called. "How about we meet you in the kitchen?"

"Ok, I'll be in there." Stella replied.

"Come on." Gabriella said, leading her friend into the kitchen. She saw her cousin at the fridge grabbing a small snack. "Stella, how was it at school today? Happy for the vacation?"

"It's two extra days off, Gabriella." Stella said. "Johnny and I were helping Ms. Evans and Mr. Ryan get everything ready for your reunion. Mr. Ryan was telling us about some of the people he remembered from senior year. But I still have to go back tomorrow to help some more."

"Make sure you have your keys tomorrow. I'm not sure how late I'll be yet." Gabriella said. "By the way this is my friend Taylor. Taylor this is my cousin Stella."

"Nice to meet you." Taylor greeted with a smile, shaking her hand.

"Same here." Stella agreed. "Are you gonna be at the reunion, too? Ms. Evans almost had a fit when she saw your name wasn't checked off. But she seemed really happy when the owner of the Zekery was checked off."

"Should've seen that coming." Taylor muttered to herself. "Well let her know I'll be there." she told Stella. She glanced at Gabriella. "Things must be going really well between her and Zeke then."

"Troy wouldn't spill when I asked him about them." Gabriella shrugged. "But speaking of certain guys and girls..."

"You're dying to hear more about the guy aren't you?" Taylor guessed.

"Duh, of course." Gabriella nodded. She and Taylor sat down at the kitchen table. "I still want to hear those details. You know I'm always here for you." She and Taylor turned their heads to see Stella sitting down with them, watching the two women eagerly. "And apparently so is Stella." Gabriella added.

Taylor giggled. "Ok so I was on the plane to come here, like I said I was going to be. And I'm just sitting in my seat reading a book and then I look up and he happens to have the seat right next to me." she exclaimed.

"Who is he? Who is he?" Gabriella asked eagerly.

"His name's Brian. He works as an English professor at Yale." Taylor explained. "He's smart, friendly, down to Earth, studious..."

"See, I told you if you got back out there you'd find a guy." Gabriella smiled. "Keep talking, I like where this is going."

"We spent nearly the entire flight talking. He was telling me how he's skilled in three different languages and how much he loves kids and animals...."

Stella just cocked her head as she listened. Somehow this all wasn't sounding right to her. Like something was out of place. Sure Gabriella and Taylor seemed excited about it, but Stella wasn't so sure. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

* * *

Ok, so this was probably the longest chapter so far. You now have a more idea of a background with some of the characters and how much in contact they really stayed with each other. But there was also that flashback. But you don't know the whole story yet, do you? Well you're not gonna know yet, cause you only know the outcome. So that should all do it for now, cause I can't think of anything else I need to say, except that I'm watching Tarzan at the same time. XD Anyway I'll see when the next chapter goes up, but it'll be on ASAP.


	7. Chapter 6

Yup, this is the next chapter. Last one for the night. I'll see what I can come up with tomorrow. And I'm stuck working tomorrow night (blah) so that means I'd better come up with something good during the day for you guys to read. Cause if it doesn't keep building up I know I'll either get less reviews or never hear the end of it. Anyway, here is this chapter and once again, I own nothing HSM related.

* * *

The day of the reunion had finally come. Everyone was there. There was a ton of food and loud music blaring through the East High gymnasium. Every banner was decorated in red and white coloring. People were mingling and catching up. None of them had been this excited since graduation. And unfortunately that was one of the memories that kept coming back to everything. Luckily it didn't keep them down for long. They had each other and that was all that mattered.

"So you're going to tell them on Monday?" Troy asked Sharpay.

"You didn't tell anyone yet?" Zeke Baylor asked, his head turning right to Sharpay. He looked about as muscular as he did in high school, partially because he needed a lot of energy to run a bakery. His black hair was cut incredibly short and he had certainly gotten taller. When in high school he was probably a few inches or so taller than Sharpay he was now almost half a foot taller than her.

Sharpay just giggled and kept her arm linked with Zeke's. "I'm trying to keep it a surprise for my students. Besides, I figured it would be a good way to tell them when they ask about the reunion."

"So who does know then?" Zeke wondered.

"Just Troy and Ryan." Sharpay replied.

"And Gabriella." Troy laughed.

"Troy!" Sharpay gasped.

"I'm kidding Sharpay, kidding." Troy replied. "Don't worry, she only knows you guys are very serious. Emphasis on the very."

"Well that's all she'd better know." Sharpay warned.

"All know what?" Gabriella giggled as she walked over with Taylor. "Really, what are you guys talking about?"

"Gabs! Tay!" Zeke exclaimed, pulling them each into a bear hug. "Long time no see."

"Long time no taste. I've been wanting to go to your bakery for ages but I've never had time." Gabriella replied.

"His own bakery?" Taylor inquired.

"He calls it the Zekery." Gabriella answered.

Taylor nodded. "Catchy." she commented.

"Hey it's my job to spread the love of food around New Mexico." Zeke shrugged. "Besides there is going to be a huge occasion where I'll need all the food I can bake soon."

"Is that what we should know about?" Gabriella asked.

Zeke opened his mouth to answer, but Sharpay cut him off. "Don't tell them yet. You'll give it away." she moaned.

"Fine, but when we get the whole gang together here I wanna tell them." Zeke said. "And then when this is over I wanna stop by the memorial again."

"Again?" Troy raised an eyebrow.

"I wanted to say hi to Jason before I came in." Zeke admitted, lowering his voice a little. His face fell and he looked at the ground.

"We understand Zeke." Sharpay said softly. She was sure Ryan and Kelsi had gone to visit too, explaining why they weren't in the gym at the moment. "Come here." she pulled him into a tight hug.

"Hey make some room for us. We wanna make him feel better too." Gabriella said. She and Taylor hugged Zeke along with Sharpay.

"Hey, I could use a hug too." Troy whined, feeling left out.

"I'm sorry Troy. Let me fix that." Gabriella said sweetly, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Much better." Troy smiled softly as he hugged Gabriella back.

Taylor pulled away form Sharpay and Zeke as she looked at the two couples. As much as she hated to say, she envied them right now. But she shook it off. This wasn't the time to be petty. Just because it happened to be a high school reunion didn't mean it was time to dwell in the past. And as soon as she got out of there she would move onto thinking about the future.

"I'll just go get a drink." she decided. "Fifth wheel." she added to herself before walking away.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

From the back doorway of the gym Chad was watching everyone. They were all involved in their little conversations and even in their own little worlds. But Chad didn't feel right going in there. And how would it look if he just walked inside with a little kid in his arms? He knew people would start talking. Sure, Chad could lie and say it was his cousin or something, but how long would they buy that for? But Chad really wanted to go in there. He wanted to talk to his friends and everything. He looked at Dylan, who was just watching the gym curiously. Chad had no idea what to do. Finally, he did the only thing he could think of.

"Come on little buddy." he said quietly and then walked out.

"Where we goin Dad?" Dylan asked.

"I'm gonna take you somewhere." Chad answered as he walked through the halls of his old high school. "But you'll have to promise to stay there and not do anything until I get back."

"But what if I gotta go to the bathroom?" Dill asked.

"I'll try not to be too long ok? If you have to go now then tell me." Chad replied. He finally walked into an empty classroom and gently put Dylan down. "Just stay put in here ok? Don't touch anything, just stay right here. You can sit on one of the desks if you want, but don't fool around and don't leave the room."

Dylan nodded, showing he understood.

"Ok then. I'll be back soon. Be good." Chad said. He rubbed Dylan's head and then left the classroom.

He headed back to the gym. He looked around to try and catch his friends. At first, he'd lost complete sight of them. But then he saw her. She was right there by the snack table getting a drink and what looked like a minor snack. Chad could see her now. And to him she looked just as fine as ever. Her dark skin looked just as smooth as it did the last time he saw her, her black hair had grown a little to just past her shoulders, she'd gotten maybe slightly taller, and her body...oh come on, you so know what word he'd use to describe it, why should it even be bothered to be typed? Chad squinted, trying to get a good look at her eyes. They were just as he remembered them. That was the problem. The last time he saw those brown eyes they held nothing but hurt, anger, and sadness. Her eyes looked so dull, like they lacked something. Where was the life in them? Chad wanted so badly to walk right over to her and see how she was doing. But part of him knew he'd be rejected. So on that hand, why should he even bother?

He picked up his head to look back at her and he could see her eyes briefly lock with his. She just stood there at the table watching him. Neither of them made any movements or anything. If it weren't for the crowds and music there'd be nothing but complete silence. Chad could only stare at her with hopeful eyes.

"Taylor..." he said to himself.

She put what she had in her hands back on the table and shook her head. She turned on her heel and walked out of the gym.

Chad sighed and looked back at the ground. She knew what he was thinking, didn't she? She probably still hated his guts.

"Yo Chad!"

Chad's head shot up, Troy's voice interrupting his thoughts.

"What are you doing over here? The guys are that way." Troy said as he walked over to Chad, pointing in the direction that everyone else was in.

"Sorry man, guess I just got distracted." Chad apologized.

"You've been doing that a lot lately." Troy stated. "You comin over or what?"

"Yeah, totally." Chad nodded. He followed Troy over to the group. He grinned when he saw Zeke and they had their little man hug before hitting high five's. Chad smiled and hugged Gabriella; even though she and Troy were together, she hadn't seen Chad in a while now, only heard about him. Chad and Sharpay on the other hand just exchanged looks. It was obvious they still weren't on each others' favorite list.

"Somethin goin on here I should know about?" Chad asked, pointing to Sharpay and Zeke.

"Not until everyone is back here." Sharpay answered. "Only Ryan and Troy know and I made sure they wouldn't blab until the time was right."

"Right, cause you always gotta have control." Chad muttered sarcastically.

"Ok you know something Danforth..." Sharpay started. Yup, they were going to start at it again.

"So who's seen a good movie lately?" Gabriella asked hopefully, trying to stop the argument from growing.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Taylor moved some hair out of her face. She couldn't believe what she just saw. She just paced around the hallway playing back what just happened in her head. He was there, right there like less than ten feet away from her. And she couldn't get his image out of her mind. Chad looked so different. His hair was cut a little but it was the same wild and curly hair that everyone could recognize from a mile away. He looked just as muscular as he did in high school; he must have really worked out a lot. Oh man, and his eyes! They held so much emotion in them. They were just like when they broke up. There was confusion and sadness in them. He didn't even seem as energetic as he did when they were in high school. And Taylor knew why. Something about Chad changed after graduation.

She moved some hair out of her face again and leaned up against the wall in the hallway. She thought back to when Chad first had that change in him. The one that Taylor had felt guilty about from the second it happened.

_Taylor clutched her hands tight together looking down at them. she couldn't even think straight because she was so worried. And why wouldn't she be? About half or so of the just-graduated senior class was in the waiting room in the hospital. They all had the same looks on their faces. They were horrified and worried that it had happened. And Taylor was one of the guiltiest souls in the room. She should have spoken up sooner when she first became suspicious but she didn't; she kept it to herself until it was too late. And she saw right in front of her eyes what it did to Chad._

_Gabriella was sitting next to her as well as Troy. She was clutching Troy's hand tight, knowing that he was just as concerned. Chad wasn't the only one in there being looked at. Plenty of other students were in there as well. Troy was mostly worried about Chad and Jason. Chad was his best friend and Jason was a loyal friend and teammate. Gabriella could see the worried expressions of both Troy and Taylor._

_"He'll be ok guys." she whispered. "Chad's strong and so are the rest of them. They'll make it out in one piece."_

_Troy only nodded, unable to say anything right away._

_"I hope you're right Gabs." Taylor whispered, already knowing if she said more her voice would crack. And that's when they got one of their answers._

_"Chad Danforth?" a nurse asked as she walked into the room._

_Most of the students picked their heads up anxiously. They were all hoping the same thing. From the few reports they got on other students so far there were no deaths. They were hoping it would remain that way. Troy and Taylor were even more nervous than the rest of them. Troy gripped Gabriella's hand tighter and Taylor nibbled on her bottom lip._

_"You can send in two people to see him." the nurse announced. "He's patched up for now but we're going to have another look at him later. But he pulled through."_

_Sighs of relief filled the room. They were all thinking the same thing. Gabriella looked at her best friend and boyfriend, knowing they'd be the two to walk in and see Chad. They left the waiting room and followed the nurse to Chad's room._

_"So what's the damage?" Taylor asked softly as she and Troy walked down the hall._

_"Just some damage on his left arm. He was hit at the edge and luckily no vital areas were struck." the nurse answered. "We've stopped the bleeding and we'll know later for sure if he'll need any transfusions or not. But he was one of the lucky ones. His wasn't as bad as some of the others." She stopped at the room and let Taylor and troy go in. There was Chad in the hospital bed with his arm wrapped up good. He was laying down on the bed but with the position the bed was in he appeared to be sitting up. He looked beat and he'd lost some color in his face. He picked his head up to get a better look of who was standing in the doorway. He smiled crookedly at the familiar faces. "Hey guys." he greeted quietly._

_Troy leaned up against the wall and sighed with relief. Taylor didn't waste any time. As soon as Chad held his good arm out she ran right into it. "Chad!" she gasped with relief. He didn't turn to his side, but he did rest his head on her chest. Taylor wrapped an arm around his back and stroked his cheek with her other hand. She rested her head on top of his curly locks. Chad could feel her breathing heavily. "We're so glad you're ok." she whispered, clutching him tighter._

_Troy walked over and playfully patted his friend on the chest. "How are you feelin man?"_

_"Aside from the fact that they're not letting me move my arm and I'm staring at a blank TV screen five feet above my head, not too bad." Chad replied._

_Troy smiled sheepishly. "Hey don't freak us out like that again. Can you at least move your hand into a fist?"_

_"Yeah." Chad nodded. He did as he was told and Troy moved his hand down to knuckle touch Chad._

_"That's my bud." he nodded with relief._

_"Did you get word on any of the others?" Chad wondered._

_"Not many." Troy sighed. "So far everyone survived. Either a few minor injuries or a vital injury. But so far everyone's good. The whole gang's freaked out though."_

_"I don't blame them." Chad said. "It was scary man." He should know; he was the first to go down. He could feel Taylor grabbing onto his shirt from the back, knowing he hit a nerve somehow. She was probably thinking the same thing he was. "You should go keep everyone calm." Chad suggested to Troy softly. "Let em know that so far everyone's still in one piece."_

_"Let's just hope it stays that way." Troy nodded. "I'll let you know when we hear any more. And I'll come back in before I leave." He turned around and walked out of the room._

_It was silent in the room for a few minutes. The only sound heard was their silent breathing, at points heavier than others. Chad gently rubbed Taylor's back and they stayed quiet a little longer until she finally spoke. "It's my fault you're here, you know." she whispered._

_Chad had a confused look on his face. "What are you talking about?" he asked softly._

_"I saw the car pass the school more than once. I should have suspected something was up. But I didn't say anything." Taylor breathed. "And when we finally figured out what was about to happen we were running to tell the others and I wasn't fast enough. You told me to go faster and keep up with you but I couldn't. And then you knocked me down so I couldn't get hurt and you ended up the one being hit."_

_"I had to do it." Chad whispered. "You know how dangerous it looked. But you can't blame yourself for what happened. You weren't the one with those weapons."_

_"And look where they got you." Taylor said, picking her head off of his. Chad moved his head off her chest and she pulled over a chair so she could sit down. She held his hand in hers and gently rubbed it. She looked at him for a long minute. Their eyes locked and silence filled the room again. Finally, Taylor spoke again in an even softer voice. "I know how much you must be hurting right now. And I want to feel what you're going through right now."_

_"Trust me, it's hurting more than you need to worry about." Chad said. "But you don't need to feel what I do now."_

_"Do you even hear yourself?" Taylor asked. She could tell by the tone in his voice that he was different. It was different from the second she heard him speak. It wasn't as powerful as it was, it didn't have the same energy that it usually did._

_"Tay I think everyone else needs to be worried about more than me. I'm sure I was the least of everyone's worries." Chad said._

_"Not of Troy's. And certainly not of mine." Taylor replied. "He's sitting out there now focusing on Jason and how he must be doing now that he knows you're alright. And I was right there when you were hit. You fell unconscious right on top of me and I was scared stiff. What did I even do out there to help you?" She could already feel tears threatening to fall._

_"You stayed down. You stayed protected. You stayed with me." Chad answered._

_"You fell on top of me. I had to stay down." Taylor replied._

_Chad moved his hand out of Taylor's grasp and rubbed her cheek. She placed her hand over his as a few tears fell. "Yeah well it's good enough for me." Chad said._

_"I don't even know how to process what happened today." Taylor whispered._

_"I don't know what to think of it either." Chad said. "But it's not something that just goes away. I think something more was taken away from me than some skin and blood. But I don't know what yet."_

_"Just as long as it's not your life." Taylor said._

_"As long as you're here, no way I'm gonna lose it." Chad shook his head. He saw Taylor smile slightly which made him smile. "Hey, so we don't sit around here moping the entire day," Chad said, "can you at least think of one positive thing from today? Even if it's the most stupidest thing possible?"_

_"Maybe just one thing." Taylor answered calmly and softly as though it were that obvious. "It's that you were really, really brave out there."_

Taylor snapped out of her flashback. Maybe Chad was making a bigger deal out of it than he really was, or maybe by now he had figured out what it was. But that was the first and last time she saw him so vulnerable. The last time she saw him just being so down was probably when they broke up, even though she was sure it was mostly anger. But she had to snap out of it now. It was all in the past. She's pretty sure she had someone new in her life now.

Nodding to herself, Taylor then stood up and brushed herself off. But when she looked across the hallway into an empty classroom she could see a small boy in there. He just sat there on the floor staring at her. Taylor blinked, wondering what he was doing in there.

* * *

Just thought I'd leave it there as a cliffhanger. Call me lazy for not wanting to type any further when I had a few other ideas on what to add. But I thought it'd be a good way to keep you guys in suspense. So the whole gang is pretty much back together now and you had another piece of the flashback about that day. So there'll probably be on more flashback of it and it'll be the whole thing. Gotta figure out when to throw that in, though. And there's gonna be plenty more flashbacks where that came from. Trust me, I'm focusing on as many different people as possible here but I also want this to be a C&T thing so that means the more those two get together the more flashbacks of them you'll see. And I've got at least one big idea for a flashback that'll really heat up tension between them. But you won't see it just yet. And I also realized, I didn't thank anyone for their reviews in a while. Bad me. T_T So when I update tomorrow I'll be sure to include that. -nod nod-


	8. Chapter 7

Happy Friday everyone! Well, happy for you guys. Not so much for me. I got work from five to midnight and trust me, bowling leagues on Fridays are no fun. So this will probably be the only chapter I get in today. But I also figured out a good way to end the story. Or at least get a certain two stubborn characters back together. xD Now I don't wanna give anything away, but I am gonna type one hint on here so I can make sure I don't forget what it is. Let's just say it involves a certain third party. 0=)  
And as mentioned before, me no own HSM.

* * *

Taylor moved some strands of hair out of her face, making sure that what she was seeing was real. What was a child doing alone in an empty classroom at the high school? Coincidentally during the high school reunion? He had to belong to someone in the gym. But who? She studied the boy carefully. He remained where he was, not moving an inch. He merely cocked his head and looked at her.

Taylor took a few steps to the classroom until she was in the doorway. "Hello..." she greeted, unsure of what else to do at the moment. Certainly not scare him, that was for sure.

"My dad says I'm not apposed to talk to strangers." Dylan replied.

Apposed? What did that mean? Taylor cocked an eyebrow, trying to understand him. Oh, he meant supposed. Well in retrospect it did made sense; the boy certainly looked younger than ten so his vocabulary couldn't be that developed yet.

"Your dad's here?" Taylor inquired curiously. So that meant he was somewhere in the gym. But who was he?

"Uh-huh." Dylan nodded. "He told me to stay in here till he comes to get me."

That made Taylor wonder about his mother, too. Would she be in the gym with his father or was she out working or something? "And your mother?" she wondered.

"I don't have one." Dylan answered, looking down at the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Taylor quickly apologized softly. She didn't mean anything by it, but how could she have known? But still, that didn't mean he could be left in here all alone while his father was catching up. Why couldn't he be in the gym, too? Taylor knelt down to try and get better eye contact with the boy, but remained where she was. "Maybe I could help you find your father." she suggested. "I'm sure he's in the gym with some friends somewhere."

"Hey Taylor, who are you talking to?" a voice asked. Taylor turned to see Ryan and Kelsi now behind her. Ryan looked the same as he did the last time they talked; same height and...well his hair was hard to see because he still had a hat on. Kelsi Neilson was looking pretty good, too. She had cut her hair again and it was in light curls, though the shade looked a little darker; she was probably around the same height as Taylor, between five foot two and five foot four.

But as much as Taylor would have loved to catch up with the two now, a child was a bigger priority. "Someone in the gym left his son in here." she told them.

Ryan peered into the doorway and looked at Dylan. "Oh come on, who would leave that little guy in here? He's gotta be cold with no hat."

Taylor gently hit Ryan on the chest. "A hat doesn't make people warmer, Ryan. Really, you need to get those accessories out of your head at some point."

"And you guys aren't helping, setting an example for him like that." Kelsi said. She knelt down to Dylan's level and adjusted her glasses. "What's your name, little guy?"

Dylan cocked his head at the adults. He knew he really shouldn't be talking to any of them but he was only a kid; he was naive. And they seemed nice enough. "Dylan."

"It's nice to meet you Dylan." Kelsi replied sweetly. "I'm Kelsi and this is Ryan and Taylor."

"Would you like us to take you to your father?" Taylor wondered. She got up and walked over to Dylan.

He nodded and held his hands out. "Up." he said.

"Come on, don't you think you're a little big to be picked up?" Taylor asked.

Dylan's face fell and he looked away.

"Really Taylor, have a heart." Ryan teased. "Besides if you don't wanna pick him up I will."

"No!" the girls gasped at the same time. That made Ryan jump back. They were probably still holding that family project against him from senior year. It was the whole treat-a-flour-sack-like-a-baby thing and Ryan could never get a good enough grip on it. His teacher had called him butterfingers for that. But man, you drop a fake baby ten or so times for one project and it's held against a guy for life.

"Alright, I'll pick you up." Taylor gave in. She gently lifted Dylan and held him in her arms.

"Come on, we can talk on our way back to the gym." Kelsi offered. "Ryan and I were just visiting Jason."

Taylor walked beside the two. Her face fell at the mentioning of Jason's name. She could feel the guilt returning to her already. "He must be really happy to see you guys."

"He was. I tried making a few jokes and I'm sure he was laughing up there." Ryan said.

"Or falling asleep at how lame they were." Kelsi teased. "But we want to visit him again before we all leave. Do you think the guys would be in?"

"As much as I'd love to pass out on it, I know it would be wrong not to visit." Taylor said.

"Hey, we're all to blame." Ryan said, knowing the three of them felt just as guilty. "I saw the whole thing."

"And I was standing right next to Jason when it happened." Kelsi added.

"And if I confessed about my suspicions earlier none of it would have ever happened." Taylor finished.

"But none of us are the ones who made it happen." Kelsi said. "And it happened so fast we wouldn't have been able to do anything. Really if you think about it, how would Jason feel if he saw us acting like this? He wouldn't want us to feel this down forever."

Ryan smiled. Leave it to Kelsi to try and better the situation. She could never let anyone stay down for that long. "You know Kels, you're absolutely right."

"Besides there are other things we should feel more down about. Something actually in our control." Taylor agreed. "We really needed to hear that."

"I'm only here to help." Kelsi shrugged with a smile.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"Wait, you mean that old theater downtown that was completely destroyed?" Zeke gasped. "That's yours now?"

Troy nodded. He, Chad, Gabriella, Zeke, and Sharpay were still in the gym talking to each other. "Yeah, Chad's been helping me fix it up and everything. I really wanna do something special with it before the summer's done."

"It'll turn out great Troy." Gabriella supported. "It's really coming along."

"And it'll be even better when I help with some musicals in there." Sharpay offered with a grin.

"One thing at a time, Shar." Troy said. "I gotta get it finished first."

"And someone seems to be pretty quiet." Zeke said. "Yo Chad, you ok man?"

Chad blinked and snapped out of it. "Oh yeah, sorry." he apologized. "I just have a lot on my mind. Maybe I should head out."

"Already?" Gabriella asked. "But what about the others?"

"I've got other things to take care of." Chad said. He turned to head to the exit of the gym, but he stopped when he saw Ryan, Kelsi, and Taylor walk in. And Taylor was holding Dylan. Chad froze in his tracks. How did they find him? What did they know? "I'll be right back." he said quickly as he walked over to the three.

"Hey here comes a familiar face." Ryan said as he saw Chad walk over. "You know we still have to talk about all those baseball games we were gonna catch but never did. If girls can have their night out why can't we have a guy's night in?"

"Not now Ry." Chad shook his head.

"Alright, I can take a hint." Ryan sighed. "Just point me in the direction of Sharpay then."

"She's over there with the others." Chad said, pointing towards them.

Ryan nodded. "I'll see you guys later then." He walked over to them.

"Kelsi how about you go with Ryan?" Chad suggested.

"Wow, no hi or anything?" Kelsi asked. "You really do know how to step on a small person." She shrugged and followed Ryan.

Taylor sighed. Now she was alone with Chad. So not what she wanted. "Chad I don't have time for this. I have to find this boy's father."

Chad bit his tongue. He knew Dylan's father wasn't going to be anywhere else. And if he let Taylor walk away with him then she'd suspect something was up. And he already knew what idea it was going to put in her head. "You already found him."

Taylor blinked. "What?" She just looked at Dylan as he jumped from Taylor to Chad. She couldn't believe it. But maybe she shouldn't be surprised. So Chad found someone special. But according to Dylan, there was no mother. That could have been any one thing. She could have died or there could have been a divorce. Taylor was shocked at first, but she couldn't let it take over her. Someone else just found out what she was missing out on and happened to ruin Taylor's chance of ever getting back together with him.

_No no, what am I thinking?_ she thought. _I'm not thinking anything about Chad. He and I are done, he's got...or had...someone new. He doesn't need me and I don't need to think about him. I'm getting with someone else and it's not Chad._

"Tay are you ok?"Chad asked.

"Huh?" Taylor asked, snapping out of her thoughts. Great, now he was calling her Tay. She hated it when he did that. What was he trying to do, make her melt again? "I'm sorry, I'm fine. I guess congratulations should be in order then. You know, with Dylan and everything."

"Oh...right." Chad nodded. "Yeah thanks." He balanced Dylan in his arm a little better. "You look good, by the way."

Taylor gave a nod. "Thanks. So you do." she replied. "I should get going now. And next time, don't leave your son alone in a classroom unsupervised." she started leaving.

But Chad didn't want her to go yet. He wanted to talk to her some more. He knew she must hate his guts or something now, but just a few more minutes. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking." he said. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Not all I wanted to hear." Taylor muttered partially to herself. She folded her arms and turned around to Chad. "But it is a start. And at least you found someone."

"It's not as easy as you think." Chad shook his head. "It's complicated."

"I get that from my students a lot." Taylor said.

"Students?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Chem teacher at Oxford U." Taylor explained.

"And here I am raising a kid and my sister doing nothing but owning a bowling alley." Chad chuckled. "You're doing alright for yourself."

"Wait, a son and your sister?" Taylor raised an eyebrow.

"Just the three of us. Sharon...well, she isn't too fond of Dylan. Or me for that matter, but what else do you expect from sibling rivalry?" Chad shrugged.

"She must really hate who you got together with then. She never liked me either." Taylor said.

"The girl hates a lot of things." Chad said.

Ok, now Taylor was just feeling awkward talking to Chad. They were actually talking about their past. What was he impying? "I'm just going to see the others now. It was nice talking to you." She turned on her heel and quickly went to the others.

Chad sighed as he watched Taylor leave. He shouldn't have opened up his big mouth.

Dylan looked at Chad. "She's really pretty." he commented.

"Yeah." Chad nodded, his eyes still on Taylor. "Yeah she is."

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

The memorial was built in a small room in the school in the back, but it had a sunroof and the glass walls easily let the light shine through. The memorial itself was decorated in marble and looked like a combination of the silhouettes of the students who died. The names were imprinted underneath and surrounding the statue were pictures of each of them. The gang was gathered around Jason's picture. They had been silent for a while, not completely sure of what to say. They all had a small thing to say, though. Of course before they had even entered the room they were all down Chad's throat about Dylan. But Chad was temporarily off the hook when he said that they shouldn't argue before seeing Jason. And even though they were just looking at Jason's picture it still felt good to see him. And now with the solemn silence, Sharpay and Zeke exchanged glances.

"Hey, now that we're all together again, Sharpay and I wanna share something." Zeke announced. He looked at Jason's picture, "And Jay, I can only imagine your reaction when you hear this. So if I start laughing, I'm sorry for laughing at the imaginary fit you're throwing."

"He understands Zeke." Gabriella nodded. "So what did you want to share with us?"

Zeke and Sharpay looked at each other. They nodded and then turned to their friends. "We're getting married!" they exclaimed in unison.

Chad's jaw dropped.

"Shut up!" Gabriella gasped.

"Nah-uh, never!" Zeke laughed. They exchanged hugs. Zeke even pretended to hug Jason, knowing that through all the craziness they'd still be happy.

"We're really happy for you guys." Kelsi said. "All of us."

"You are gonna be one happy, giddy couple." Troy teased.

"Well duh, with good reason!" Sharpay replied.

"Hey, I say this is a good time to celebrate." Ryan offered. "Who's up for some karaoke and junk food?"

"Ryan!" Sharpay gasped. "Do you know how much fat is in those foods?"

"And do you know how fun karaoke is?" Ryan replied.

Sharpay rubbed her chin. "Touche."

"We can head to Ryan's condo." Troy suggested. "There's plenty of space there."

"And I can pick up some cookies from my bakery." Zeke offered. The group nodded and headed out fo the school. But they turned to see Chad and Taylor still inside. "Guys are you coming?" Gabriella asked.

"Actually I should bring Dill home." Chad said. "I'll catch up with you guys another time."

"And I have plans tonight." Taylor lied.

"Alright." Zeke nodded. "Guess we'll see you later then."

"Yeah but you guys owe us." Sharpay added.

They started leaving until only Gabriella was left in with Chad and Taylor. "Are you two sure you're going to be ok?" Gabriella wondered.

"Yeah, no big." Chad nodded. "It's all good Gabs. You guys go on and have fun."

Gabriella looked at Taylor.

"Go on. I'll see you at your house, I promise." Taylor said.

Gabriella reluctantly nodded and walked out. She could have sworn something was going on between those two. But now wasn't the time to think about it. Was it wrong to be so worried?

Chad looked at Dylan, then glanced at Taylor. "So what are you really still doing back here?"

"Just thinking." Taylor admitted.

"About that day huh?" Chad assumed.

Taylor shrugged, forcing herself not to smile. "You can still read my mind."

"Trust me, you can read mine so much easier." Chad said. But they could still remember it so easily, like it was yesterday.

_"Oh man this is crazy out here!" Troy gasped. He, Gabriella, Chad, and Taylor got out of Troy's truck and walked onto East High's campus. Graduation was the day before and after the ceremony they all went on to celebrate with their families. Troy, Chad, and Taylor had spent the night at Gabriella's and now here they were at the senior's party ready to have the time of their lives. A few different cars passed by the school, one of which was a black vehicle. But some of the cars had students exiting them so it seemed like nothing to be concerned with._

_"Ok, I think after getting up early to attend graduation and then staying up until two a.m. we really deserve this party." Troy said as he looked at his friends._

_"There's enough food here for five graduating classes." Chad joked as he friends laughed. It was true; there were numerous tables filled with snacks and at least ten coolers containing drinks. There was also a DJ playing the music and if students weren't talking to each other or eating they were dancing to the music. The four smiled and headed over to their other friends. Sharpay was dancing with Zeke to the music and Ryan kept grabbing food. Kelsi and Martha were talking to each other and Jason looked like the happiest guy alive._

_"Look at Jason." Troy chuckled at his friend. "He's partying like there's no tomorrow."_

_"Can you blame him? He literally moved into the library so he could retake his finals over and over again." Taylor stated. "And he pulled through with it. Look at where it got him. Jason was right there with us on the podium yesterday. He's been wishing for that all year."_

_"And I'm wishing to have the time of my life with my friends today." Gabriella smiled. "How about we go join the guys on the dance floor?"_

_"Wait, how do you know where the dance floor is?" Chad asked. "It's all grass."_

_"It's called using your imagination Chad." Troy laughed, hitting his friend on the head._

_"Hey, watch the hair." Chad joked._

_"Really, even if anvil hit your head you couldn't feel it through that bus." Troy teased._

_"That hurt man." Chad whined playfully. "Now you damaged my feelings."_

_Troy laughed and Gabriella playfully rolled her eyes. Taylor smiled and shook her head. "Come on, lunkhead, let's go see if we can make you feel better."_

_Chad smiled as he and Taylor walked away. "Works for me." he agreed._

_And as they walked away that same black car passed by again._

_Troy and Gabriella smiled at each other and shook their heads. "Come on, it's the first day of summer for us. Let's catch up with the guys." Troy suggested as he and Gabriella walked off hand in hand._

_Chad and Taylor only laughed as they walked away. It was close to the side of the high school and Chad leaned up against a nearby tree. "I can't believe senior year is finally over. We've gone through so much this year."_

_"I know." Taylor agreed. "But you know where we go after this. I'll be off at Yale and you're staying here."_

_"How are we gonna work that out?" Chad asked. He had plans about talking about this and he thought he had it all planned out. But now he didn't. He couldn't._

_"I don't know." Taylor admitted. She moved some bangs out of Chad's face. "And I don't want to think about it right now. This is all that matters right now. Forget about college for five minutes. We'll be alright."_

_Chad smirked slightly. "I think I'll be more alright if you kiss me."_

_Taylor smiled and rolled her eyes. "You just want everything don't you?" She leaned in and kissed Chad and he kissed her back. They slowly slid down against the tree and sat on the grass. They were like that for a while, just the two of them together making out while their friends were at the party._

_Meanwhile Troy and Gabriella were talking with Zeke. Sharpay had gone over to her brother and Zeke was joking around. "So you guys are gonna be sure to show us pictures of Cali during Thanksgiving break, right?" he asked._

_"Of course." Troy said. "As long as you make your famous apple and banana cream pie for us."_

_"With a side dish of your double chocolate chip cookies." Gabriella added with a giggle._

_Zeke smiled. "How could I not? Man I'm gonna miss having you guys taste test me food. It's not gonna be the same without you."_

_"It's not gonna be the same without you and me on the same team either." Troy added. He and Zeke hit high fives._

_"Well how about while we're here we enjoy ourselves?" Gabriella suggested. "Jason is just because he graduated. And we should celebrate because of what this means for us. For all of us. We're not going to the same school anymore. It's symbolic. Like the last time we'll be together as a class. So let's enjoy the moment while we can and while it lasts."_

_If only she knew how right she was._

_Chad and Taylor were still on their own lost in their moment. Aside from adjusting their positions in each other or against the tree, they hadn't moved an inch. Needing to catch their breath, they slowly pulled away from each other and smiled. They didn't want it to end. Chad wrapped his arms around Taylor and they rested their heads on each others shoulders._

_"I'm gonna miss you Tay." Chad whispered._

_Taylor shook her head. "Relax Chad. I leave the next to last week in August, not first thing in the morning." she said._

_"Then how come you sound so off?" Chad wondered._

_"What do you mean?" Taylor asked._

_"You just seem distracted." Chad admitted. "Is it the college thing again?"_

_"No, of course not." she shook her head. She sat up so she could look Chad in the eyes. "Don't worry, it's nothing."_

_"Are you sure?" Chad asked, putting a hand to her cheek._

_"I promise." Taylor agreed. They leaned in for another kiss until Taylor stopped. Chad almost fell over at her hesitation, but Taylor's eyes were on something else. It was the same black car that had passed by before. And again and again. She seemed lost in its gaze as she saw it drive by slowly._

_"Tay what's the matter?" Chad asked, concerned._

_Taylor pointed to the dark vehicle. "Don't you think it's a bit strange?" she asked. "I could have sworn I saw that same car pass by earlier. More than once."_

_Chad glanced at it and shrugged. "Maybe the driver's lost."_

_"I don't think so." Taylor shook her head. "It doesn't give off that aura."_

_"So then what aura does it give off?" he wondered. They both faced the car, staying behind the tree. They watched it carefully. Chad seemed confused at why it was going so slow, slower than it should, and Taylor was studying it. At first neither of them knew what was going on. But then they saw something and they instantly knew what was wrong._

_The window slowly rolled down, the back window facing the school._

_Taylor's eyes widened and she gasped. "We have to tell the others. Now!"_

_Chad nodded in agreement and they ran from their spot, trying to get to the others who were still at the party on the front of the campus. Chad was running faster than Taylor; she was falling behind. "Tay you have to keep up!" Chad called._

_"I'm trying." Taylor replied. "But I'm not as fast as you. And your legs are longer than mine."_

_"We can talk legs later!" Chad said. He turned around to see how far behind him Taylor was. Not as close behind him as he wanted her to be. Chad slowed down his pace a little and he picked his head up to where the car was, still going slowly. The window was now rolled down all the way and something was slowly sticking out of it. Chad gasped when he recognized the weapon. "Taylor watch out!" he yelled. He quickly ran back over to her and a gunshot rang out. Chad knocked Taylor down to stop her from getting hit, but not before he felt a seering pain in one of his arms. He fell on top of Taylor, and even if he couldn't get up he wouldn't have._

_Taylor's eyes widened as she saw what happened. "Chad!" she cried._

_"Stay down. Don't get up." Chad told her. That was the last thing he sid before he fell unconcious._

_At the party itself everyone was still dancing and being carefree. Nothing seemed like it could go wrong until they heard the gunshot. The music stopped immediately and everyone froze. It was close by. And they heard another shot again, this time they could feel the wind pass them as the bullet flung through the air, luckily not striking anyone at the moment._

_"Everyone get low. NOW!" Troy yelled. He grabbed Gabriella and pulled her under the closest table, which luckily had a large cloth over it._

_Zeke ran right over to Sharpay and tried to get her out of the way. Jason was with Kelsi and Martha at the time. Ryan had heard the first gunshot when he went to get a drink. He was on his way back to the three, hoping it was his imagination. But they had the same look of fear on their faces that no one wanted to see. Ryan picked up his walking speed to get over there but the next thing he knew Martha collapsed behind the table at the sound of another shot. Kelsi covered her mouth and took a step back in horror. And that's when it got Jason. He fell backwards onto the ground, his face buried in the grass._

_Kelsi just froze where she was. She looked at her friends in horror as more bullets soared through the air and numerous more cries were heard. Ryan took one look at everything that was going on. One more gunshot was heard and the bullet went right through the aht on Ryan's head, knocking it off. As it did he turned pale white and fainted. For the numerous people that were hiding, they were eihter curled up in a ball crying, clutching to their friends or dates, waiting for it all to end, or dialing 911._

_And the black car drove away, leaving everyone's sight.  
_

* * *

Ok so that's the end of this chapter. I was watching Kim Possible at the same time. xD Man I miss that show. Gotta love the naked mole rat. ^^ Ok, I was watching Toon Disney, too. But it's not my fault i got distracted. Anyway I'll be sure to update again ASAP. And now I shall thank everyone for the reviews before I forget. So thanks to digigirl02, ChaylorTwilightQueen10, and Always-Here-Imani. So now I leave you with the suspense of that flashback. Man it gives me the creeps just thinking about it when I was typing you know? Not pleasant. And yeah, like there was really gonna be a lot of detail into it. Uh-huh. So anyway, I'll just leave it at that and update again ASAP.


	9. Chapter 8

Ok, I started typing all this out at about a quarter to ten in the morning. That's what I get for forcing myself up at nine to watch a new episode of Pokémon. XD Anyway I was sitting...or lying...in bed last night trying to think of all the stuff that could happen between Taylor and Chad in this story. Oh c'mon, you know they're my favorite. Ok, Ryan's one of my favorite characters too, so I would like to throw something in here with him too. Opinions on him, other than constantly seeing him at the high school and trying to open a hat shop. XDDD Ok so where was I? Oh yeah, I came up with a few ideas so one of them should be in this chapter. I'm just hoping I don't forget any other ones. And once again I'll be working tonight so I'll have to see if I get another chapter up after this one today or not.  
Anything else I have to say besides the fact that I don't own HSM? No? Ok then.

* * *

"And the color scheme will be pink. Pink, pink, pink, all pink!" Sharpay exclaimed.

Gabriella and Kelsi sat at the table across from Sharpay in Starbuck's. They exchanged glances before turning back to their friend.

"Don't you think pink if overdoing it a little?" Gabriella wondered. "You know at least half the guys wouldn't be caught dead wearing pink tuxedos. Who knows it those are even sold anywhere?"

"Ryan would wear one. He wears pink all the time." Sharpay shrugged.

"He grew up with you. He's gotta have a feminine side to him." Kelsi replied. When she saw Gabriella and Sharpay staring at her, she blushed faintly and shrugged. "Well it makes sense."

"Ok so if you two are the experts then what other one color would you suggest?" Sharpay inquired, folding her arms.

"Well pink is much like a pastel color, so perhaps another pastel color to go with it. Like a light blue or bright green." Gabriella suggested. "Or if all else fails, white goes with anything."

Sharpay rubbed her chin as she thought it over. "Pink and white huh?" She blew some blond locks out of her face and shrugged. "Well I suppose it's worth a good looking at."

"And you're definitely telling your drama and chorus students tomorrow about your engagement?" Gabriella asked.

"Duh, that was the plan." Sharpay replied. "They're really slow at it, too. I've been wearing the ring on my finger for at least five months and they hadn't noticed it." She flashed her engagement ring to the girls.

"Whoa that's a nice ring!" Gabriella gasped.

"Zeke has incredibly good taste." Kelsi added.

"As will Troy, I'm sure." Sharpay replied slyly.

"What are you talking about? He and I are just dating." Gabriella said.

"Yeah well, we'll see how long that lasts." Sharpay replied.

Gabriella could feel herself backing up, even if she wasn't moving. She looked to Kelsi for support.

Kelsi merely shrugged. "I'm staying out of this one." she said.

"Thanks." Gabriella muttered sarcastically. Trying to change the subject, she pulled out her phone to look at the time. Sunday, June second, two fifty-nine p.m. "Ok where is Taylor?" she asked. "We were meeting here nearly an hour ago now. She always calls if she's late. And she never calls if she's late because she's never late."

"Is Gabriella making too big a deal out of this?" Kelsi whispered to Sharpay.

"She probably hasn't shaken off the whole Troy thing yet." Sharpay guessed. "Boy did we catch her off guard or what?"

Kelsi shook her head and turned to Gabriella. "I thought she was staying at your house?"

"She left right after breakfast this morning saying she'll catch up with us at two." Gabriella replied.

"And speaking of the devil," Sharpay smirked as she spotted Taylor running over. She looked out of breath, not to mention her shirt was slightly wrinkled and her hair was out of place.

"Taylor where have you been?" Gabriella gasped, standing up to face her friend. "This is not like you."

Taylor stood up straight and rubbed the back of her head. "I guess I got a little...distracted."

"By what?" Kelsi asked.

"The better question would probably be, 'by who'?" Gabriella corrected.

"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked as innocently as she could.

"Shirt check. And hair check." Sharpay informed her.

Taylor looked down at her shirt and immediately started to straighten it up. Then she attempted to make her hair look more presentable. "I was just with Brian was all."

"This guy she's been seeing for, how long was it now? A week? Not even?" Gabriella said.

"Were you busy in a certain sheet covered piece of furniture or what?" Sharpay asked.

"No, nothing like that!" Taylor insisted. "We met up today and we sort of...well...kissed."

"Hun, you look more like you really kissed him than sort of." Sharpay said.

Taylor bit her tongue. Yeah, like she was going to tell them a simple kiss turned out into a make-out session. "He's a really good kisser."

"Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" Gabriella gasped. "No way she'd ever say something like that."

Taylor shrugged and sat down in the last empty seat. "I guess I've been listening to my students for too long. A lot of them can be really girlie."

"So do you care to fill us in on today?" Kelsi wondered. "Cause you're sounding like you had a pretty good time."

Taylor ran a hand through her hair. "Well we started out just by going to a few stores and comparing what he liked. And we both needed some new books so we went to the book store. And then we went back to his parents' house and they were out so we were just talking for a while. Then we started watching a movie for a while and we talked a little more andthenhestartedkissingme." she explained, blurting out the last part.

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner." Gabriella cheered. "Somebody's crazy for a certain somebody. When do we get to meet him?"

"I'll talk to him tomorrow and see when." Taylor offered. She was really hoping her friends approved of Brian. He's a good guy.

"Wow you must have really had a fun time with him." Sharpay observed.

"Yeah." Taylor admitted. "I did. I really felt safe with him."

"And you know what, I think it's time we got out of here." Kelsi suggested. "We need to get out and do something."

"Yeah, something exciting for a Sunday. Sunday's are usually so boring." Gabriella agreed. "And before we all go to work or whatever tomorrow we might as well have fun today."

"Girls, shopping trip!" Sharpay exclaimed.

"Every trip's a shopping trip with you Sharpay." Gabriella giggled.

"Ok, let's see how we can divide time equally between the four of us." Taylor suggested. "It's five after three now so if we each spend an hour doing something one of us wants to do, we can be done by around seven and then grab some dinner."

"I say we do things we don't normally do." Kelsi said. "We can have a little more fun that way and just goof off or something."

"Ooooh, quiet girl's living a little." Sharpay teased. "I like it." She held up a finger. "But we're still doing shopping."

"But not clothes shopping for an hour." Gabriella said.

"Ok, one store for clothes and then we can go shopping somewhere else." Sharpay agreed. "Now girls, let's spread out!"

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

It was now six thirty. First the girls had gone shopping, as per Sharpay's suggestion. One clothes store was all they hit, then Victoria's Secret, then some kind of makeup store that they just walked right into without taking note of the name or anything, then an electronics store. They don't know how they ended up there either, but they might have gotten slightly distracted with a DDR game in the mix. Next they took a trip mini golfing, under Kelsi's suggestion. They all stunk at the game but they seemed to have a good time. Then under Taylor's suggestion they went to the flee market. They bought numerous things they didn't even need and managed to grab a snack while they were there. And now it was six thirty and Gabriella came up with the idea of going bowling. So they went to the bowling alley in town that - you guessed it - Chad happened to own. However Gabriella was the only one that knew.

"Ok so if we play an hour long game we should be done by seven thirty. It'll be a little late, but we can grab dinner afterward." Gabriella said as they paid for the game and shoes.

"Hey it's a good thing we had a big snack at the flee market." Kelsi said. "That was actually a pretty good idea."

"Hey mini golfing wasn't too bad either." Taylor added. "I just wish we could have figured out sooner that the game was nothing more than solving a mathematical equation to get the ball from point a to point b."

"And this is why you need to get out more." Sharpay informed Taylor. She took her shoes over to the lane they were assigned to and the girls followed. She reluctantly put on the bowling shoes and stared at the screen in front of them. She raised an eyebrow from confusion and turned to the girls. "Anyone know how to get this thing started?"

"I don't know." Kelsi admitted. "But we are going to need balls even before we start playing."

"Oh yeah." Sharpay muttered.

"We'll grab the light weight balls." Gabriella suggested. "They usually keep those behind the front desk." She and Kelsi went to go grab four eight or ten pound balls. Sharpay and Taylor exchanged glances. Taylor shrugged and sat down, switching her shoes with the bowling ones. She gasped when she felt something grab her; Taylor nearly jumped when she looked down and realized it was Dylan.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. She sat up straight and picked up Dylan, putting him in her lap.

"My dad owns this place. I get to come here all the time!" he exclaimed with a smile.

Taylor blinked. "Your dad owns this bowling alley?"

"Wow, small world." Sharpay said to herself.

Dylan cocked his head at Sharpay. "You're pretty, too." he said.

Of course Sharpay adored the flattery. "Your father must have raised you to have excellent taste."

"His father's Chad." Taylor informed Sharpay.

"Excuse me?" Sharpay muttered. "You're joking right?"

Kelsi and Gabriella walked back over with a few balls. "Hey, look who decided to drop by for a visit!" Kelsi exclaimed with a smile, referring to Dylan.

"Should we get another ball for him?" Gabriella wondered.

"Actually he's Chad's son." Taylor said. "He just ran right over here."

"He has a son?" Gabriella asked. _So this is what Troy meant when he said Chad was always acting werid, I bet._ she thought. It all made sense now.

Kelsi sat down next to Taylor and gently rubbed Dylan's head. "That's Sharpay and Gabriella, Dill." she introduced them. "Would you like to stay and hang over here with us while we play?"

"Uh-huh." Dylan nodded eagerly.

"Shouldn't Chad be keeping an eye on him?" Sharpay folded her arms.

"He wasn't behind the front desk. He could be in the bathroom or behind the snack counter." Gabriella suggested.

"Great, so we're stuck having no idea how the heck to work the stupid bowling machine...thing." Sharpay put her chin in her hand and sat down.

"I can go get my dad to help." Dylan offered happily. He jumped off Taylor's lap and went to go find Chad.

Taylor bit her tongue. "Can we get out of here now?" she asked.

"We didn't even start playing yet? Why are you in a hurry?" Sharpay replied.

"Somebody doesn't want to be less than a foot away from a certain someone." Gabriella teased.

"Ex-nay on the Ad-chay." Taylor retorted.

Sharpay raised an eyebrow. "What are they talking about?" she asked Kelsi.

"I'm...not entirely sure." Kelsi admitted. "But I think it might have something to do with Chad."

"So is somebody jealous then?" Gabriella teased.

"No, someone is ticked." Taylor lied.

"Maybe only because you're getting the impression that Chad moved on right away." Gabriella said.

"I'm not ticked at that. And I'm not jealous of whatever girl he met either." Taylor replied.

Luckily the discussion didn't get much further. Dylan ran back over with Chad behind him. Chad stopped in his tracks when he saw who needed help. He tried to ignore his feelings and tell himself they were just customers who happened to be old friends. He cleared his throat. "Need some help ladies?"

Kelsi was the first to speak up. "Yeah, could you help us set up the scoreboard?" she inquired.

"Yeah, no problem." Chad nodded. He walked over to the computer and entered everything in.

"And while you're at it could you help Taylor admit how she feels?" Gabriella muttered.

Taylor's eyes widened and she nudged Gabriella.

"You say something?" Chad asked, turning his head to Gabriella.

"Not a thing." she lied.

Chad nodded and went back to typing everything in. He hit the enter key when it was all done. "There we go. You're all set."

The girls looked up at the scoreboard to see what order they'd be going in. Taylor shook her head. "I really didn't want to go first." she said.

"Oh...I guess I'll just fix that then." Chad said, going back to try and re-enter everything.

"No, it's no big deal." Taylor stopped him.

Chad nodded and pulled away from the computer. "Do you guys know how to bowl?" he wondered.

"I went to my younger cousin's birthday party once at a bowling alley." Kelsi shrugged.

"I only went during gym class for one of my old high schools a few times." Gabriella said. "I was never that good at it, but it was a lot of fun."

_Yeah a lot of fun to trick your friends into coming here._ Taylor thought. She rolled her eyes and picked up a ball. "Really it can't be that hard." she decided. Granted, she barely knew anything about bowling, but she knew a couple of basics. Put fingers in the holes and throw it down the lane. She did that, only to have it land in the gutter almost immediately.

Chad tried to hold in a chuckle. "Your aim was off." he said.

Taylor turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Your aim was off." he repeated.

"Oh like you could do better?" she inquired.

"My dad's really good." Dylan piped up. "His highest score was a hundred!"

Chad smiled and shook his head. "That's not really a good score. Now a _three_ hundred...that'd be a good game.

"Well then let's see what you've got." Taylor challenged.

"I say you're only looking to get some pins knocked down this round, but only if you insist." Chad decided. He picked up one of the ten pound balls and made sure it was safe to roll it down the lane. He released it from his grip and it rolled down not too far from the center. It ended up knocking down half the pins. "Ok so maybe I'm not the best bowler out there," Chad shrugged as he turned to the girls. He playfully winked at Taylor. "But that's five more than you got."

The girls smiled and exchanged glances.

"You really shouldn't act so arrogant over one roll of the ball." Taylor informed him, folding her arms.

"Then let's see how well you can do come your next turn." Chad offered. He playfully smirked. "I think I'll stick around." He sat down in one of the empty seats and waited for Taylor's turn again, though he did try to pay attention to the other girls. Sharpay only managed to get one pin down, Gabriella got three and then four, and Kelsi got seven and then one. Taylor just rolled her eyes and took her turn. Once again, nothing. And another roll, still nothing. Chad couldn't help but chuckle. "Eight rounds to go. Sure you don't want a lesson?" he teased.

"Why would I want a lesson from you?" Taylor asked, turning to Chad.

"We all know how competitive you get, Taylor." Chad replied. "And if it weren't for the five I knocked down, you'd be behind Sharpay." He didn't even know why he seemed so much calmer now than he did yesterday. Maybe instead of being in a high school that brought back so many memories he was on his own territory now. Maybe it just somehow made him feel more comfortable. Or maybe it was just the competitive nature in the air between other bowlers.

So once the three took their turns again Taylor went to give it another shot. Chad stood a few feet away from her, prepared to give her instructions. "Ok, make sure you're a few steps back from the lane. Put your fingers in the holes and try and target where you want the ball to go." he instructed. "Then bring your arm straight down, take those steps to the lane and then let it roll."

Taylor nodded as she listened to him. She took a deep breath and then did as she was instructed. And when she did, a total of four pins were knocked down. She blinked and stood up straight. "It worked."

Chad smiled and nodded. "And I know how to get more than four pins knocked down. Believe it or not I have gotten a few strikes."

Taylor turned to face him. "Then let's see what you've got." she decided.

Chad nodded. "Just face the lane." Taylor nodded and did so as Chad picked up a ball. He stood behind Taylor and handed her the ball from behind. He let her put her fingers in the holes and then put her hand over hers where they both were on the ball. He tried to ignore the feeling he had when his hands touched hers. He didn't know if Taylor felt it or not, but he didn't want to take that risk. He tried to shake it off. "Ok, so just follow my lead." he finally said.

Taylor merely nodded. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She somehow found herself short of words. No, she couldn't be having thoughts of Chad like this. She had a boyfriend. But then why was she having all these great flashbacks of her and Chad? She just felt like a chill went down her spine and she couldn't feel her legs. What was wrong with her? No, she wasn't thinking she had any feelings for Chad. He had found someone else and he had Dylan to prove it. And Taylor was with someone else. There was nothing between them. Finally letting go of her thoughts, she let Chad guide her with the ball. It left their hands and rolled down the lane. All but one pin was knocked down. Taylor's eyes widened. She and Chad did that? She turned her head towards him.

Chad looked at Taylor and was silent for a minute. "Nothing but net." he finally said after a moment of silence.

"Guess so." Taylor nodded. "That was really something."

"Yeah. Something." Chad nodded, lost in her gaze.

The girls exchanged looks. Something was definitely going on. Sharpay got up from her seat and picked up a ball. "You two mind moving?" she told them. "Some of us still have to take our turn."

Chad and Taylor looked at Sharpay and got out of the way. Then they realized they were still holding onto each others hands. They gasped and quickly pulled away, each turning a shade of red.

Gabriella looked at Kelsi and smiled. She knew something was going on. Kelsi just cocked her head, thinking it was too soon to make assumptions.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"Ok, this game is completely rigged!" Sharpay insisted once they had finished. The final score was Sharpay thirty, Kelsi sixty-four, Gabriella eighty-two, and Taylor ninety-nine.

"You're only saying that because you lost." Gabriella teased, knowing Sharpay wouldn't be angry about it forever. "Besides, the only reason Taylor won was because she had some help."

"Hey, one of those six strikes were completely hers." Chad spoke up. He turned slightly red at what he said and took a step back and Taylor blushed and looked away.

"Sure they were." Gabriella said sarcastically.

"Come on, let's pack up and head out. I'm hungry." Kelsi said as she untied her shoes.

"You've been hanging around Ryan too long." Sharpay rolled her eyes. "If it's not hats it's dancing. If it's not dancing it's yoga. If it's not yoga it's food."

Chad chuckled and shook his head. He looked down when he saw Dylan pull on his pants leg. "I'm hungry. Can we go home and eat?" Dill moaned.

"Sure kiddo." Chad nodded as he picked Dylan up. "I'll get someone to cover for me here and look after everything."

"Can Taylor come eat with us?" Dylan asked hopefully.

The girls blinked and looked at each other. Kelsi, Gabriella, and Sharpay shared a smile. This should be interesting. Taylor just stopped and rose an eyebrow, slowly turning to the boys. "What?" she asked almost quietly.

Chad paused, trying to figure out how to word it without making it sound awkward. Oh wait, too late for that. "Well...I'm thinking that Dill wants to invite you over for dinner." he answered, trying to sound casual.

Really, which one was inviting her? Sure Dylan had asked, but Chad was the one exactly extending the invitation. Taylor was lost in her thoughts for a minute. But she couldn't get involved with Chad. No way. "I can't." she shook her head. She pointed to the four of them. "We were having a girls' day out and planning to grab dinner after this..."

"Oh go on Taylor." Gabriella said. "We'll be fine without you for two more hours. Go have some fun." She added teasingly, "Besides he really likes you."

"Which he are we talking about?" Taylor mumbled.

"You know you're going to be outnumbered if we put this to a vote." Sharpay said. "So let's save you the trouble of putting up a fight and just make you go already. Not like you're doing anything wrong."

Sharpay had a point. As far as Taylor could tell it was just an awkward dinner with an old friend. And old ex-boyfriend...but it wasn't really a date. So she wouldn't be cheating on anyone. There was no harm in that. And part of her really did want to go. She didn't know why but she did. And what could it hurt, right? Maybe the girls had some good points. And hey, it wasn't like she'd see Chad again after she went back home. Well, new home, not home in Albuquerque where she used to live, but where she lived now. Oh you know what I mean.

Chad gulped, wondering what her response would be. He didn't want to force her to join them or anything. But he still wanted to spend time with her. And after yesterday, they pretty much just left with the flashback in their heads and barely said more than three sentences to each other. "What do you say?" he asked, holding out his hand to her and holding Dylan in his free one.

Taylor took her eyes off of the girls and looked at Chad. Really, what could it hurt? And who could she say no to the face he was giving her? It seemed so wishful. So sincere. So cute.... No no no! She was not just thinking that. She was over him, there was nothing left. But that still didn't change her decision. She took one more look at Chad's hand.

Then she took it.

* * *

That took a little longer than I thought. I got distracted by Flight 29 Down and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's (both of which I don't own either). So hence why it took almost three hours or something to type this up. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration but I'm estimating. I'm bad with estimation. And I'm starting to think I'm no math whiz either. I just made up the scores everyone got in their game of bowling in this chapter. XD Anyway, no flashbacks in this chapter but there's going to be on in the next chapter, I'm thinking. And man is it gonna cause some tension! I'll see if I can get it up today before work. And tomorrow's my last day of freedom before going back to school so I'll see what I can do then as well. Anyway, let me know what you think so far. Once again I'll update soon!


	10. Chapter 9

Ok this is probably the last chapter I'll put up today. I don't know, I got bored so I thought I'd start it up. I'm also watching Degrassi at the same time, which I don't known either. So yeah, I'll see how long this takes. Anyway if you're looking for tension and everything there should be some in this chapter. Only one way to find out!  
Once again I do not own HSM. I wish!

* * *

Taylor looked around the living room as Chad walked her into his house. It looked small yet so simple. There was a lamp near the door and across from the door a light colored couch facing the television, along with a window behind the TV. From standing in the doorway, to the left was the kitchen. A counter separated that with the living room, and although the kitchen was small and rectangular it had everything it needed. On the other side was a door leading to a small dining room and then next to that stairs leading to the second floor.

"This is a really nice place." she complimented.

"Thanks." Chad replied. "It's not much but I deal. It works, you know?" He put Dylan down and headed over to the kitchen. "Thirsty?"

"No, I'm good." Taylor replied.

Dylan tugged on her arm. "Come on and see my room. It's upstairs." He started pulled her to the staircase.

"He's not gonna bite." Chad teased. "I'll just get some food going. Pasta good?"

"Yeah. Sure." Taylor nodded before she followed Dylan upstairs. She walked into Dylan's room and looked around. He had a bed, a few books, plenty of toys.... "This is a nice room." she told him.

Dylan jumped onto his bed and picked up a book. "Story time?" he asked hopefully.

"Don't you think it's a little early for that?" Taylor inquired.

"Story time now!" he begged.

"All right." Taylor gave in. She sat down next to Dylan on the bed and took the book from him. She started reading and then picked up her head when she saw a familiar face in the doorway. Of course, Chad's sister.

"Wow, he let the mutt in and look what else he dragged in." Sharon said with a roll of her eyes.

Taylor raised an eyebrow at her. "Who are you to judge?" she asked. She pointed at her, referring to the way Sharon's bangs lay on her face; it was much like Taylor's. "Is that my hair style?"

"Don't worry, if it is then I'm changing it as soon as possible." Sharon stated. "It was my mother's idea. You know when she was still around."

"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked standing up.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd care." Sharon said sarcastically. "Why don't you do us a favor and get out? And take the kid with you. It's bad enough living here with my brother. I don't need another pest in this house."

"Really? I thought I was looking at one." Taylor smirked.

"You know you and Chad should have broken up sooner than you did. I can't believe you actually survived a year together after _that_." Sharon folded her arms.

"Don't you dare go there." Taylor warned.

"I think it's too late for that. Besides I'm glad you went through with that. One less of both of you to worry about." Sharon replied. She saw Taylor glare at her and only shrugged. "I'm going out. I think you're hogging all the oxygen in here." She turned on her heel and left.

Taylor just stood were she was. She wasn't sure what to feel right now. But she was feeling hurt. Angry. Annoyed. Why did Sharon have to bring that up? It was such a sore spot for her. Thinking about it hurt just as much as it did when she went through it.

_Taylor was pacing around her bedroom. She was breathing heavily, feeling more nervous than she ever did. She couldn't believe it was happening. What would Chad say? What would he do? And what happened when her parents found out? There was no way this could be happening. She was head of the Scholastic Decathlon team. She was president of the Chemistry Club. She was the head co-editor of the school's yearbook. She was student body president. There was no way this was happening now of all times. Or at all. Why couldn't it wait until she was older? Out of high school? Or married? Why during senior year of all times?_

_She hadn't even told her friends about what happened yet. The only person she could tell was Chad. What he said and how he reacted would pretty much answer the questions she had. And it was making Taylor a nervous wreck. They couldn't think about this. Not now. All she could do was keep telling herself to get a grip, that it wasn't the end of the world. But to her it felt like the end of the world. There was no changing that._

_"Tay, I got your text." Chad said out of breath as he rushed into her bedroom. "Is everything ok?"_

_Taylor had sent Chad a text message to tell him to come over ASAP. She was the only one home so Chad would just have to walk in and come into her room. It was the perfect time to talk, when they'd have enough privacy to talk. And if it didn't turn out pretty then Taylor could just be alone. She took a deep breath and slowly turned to Chad. She had practiced in her head all afternoon what to tell him and now she couldn't think of the words. She couldn't figure out what she wanted to say or anything._

_"Well..." Taylor started._

_Chad looked at her concerned. He was getting really worried now. He walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Tay talk to me, please." he said. "Is everything ok?"_

_Taylor bit her tongue. Why was this so hard to say? "Just...something that's going on." she said. She took a long pause before forcing out, "With us."_

_Chad raised an eyebrow from confusion. He had no idea what was going on. "Like what?"_

_"Like..." Taylor tried but she cut herself off. She didn't know what to say or anything. Well, she knew what she had to say but the problem was actually saying it. But she couldn't bring herself to say it. She kept picturing Chad's reaction. Taylor knew what was going to happen. He was going to start yelling. He'd start cursing. He was going to dump her and storm out never to talk again. She moved her gaze away from him at the thought._

_Chad knew something was wrong. He gently placed a hand under her chin and turned her face so she could look at him. "Please talk to me." he nearly begged. "I want to know what's wrong. I'm not going anywhere."_

_Taylor looked at Chad and nodded. She knew he was being honest. But that didn't change how scared she was. That didn't make her stop worrying. But she knew she had to tell him. "Ok." she whispered and nodded in agreement. "I kind of missed...you know, that time...so I tried to find out what was wrong."_

_"And...?" Chad asked, even though the look on his face said he pretty much had an idea of where it was going._

_"And I found out that I'm pregnant." Taylor confessed. She turned her head away, afraid to see his reaction now that she said it. She waited for him to start yelling or to hear him storm out of the room, but none of those sounds came. Chad was still standing in front of her with his hands on her shoulders._

_"Tay are you sure?" he asked, making sure there wouldn't be any freaking out for no reason. "I mean how did it even happen?" He saw Taylor shoot him a doubtful look. "Ok yeah, dumb question." he said sheepishly._

_"Chad do you know how involved I am with the school this year?" Taylor sighed as she sat down on her bed. "I can't be having a baby. What kind of example does it even set for the other students?"_

_"Tay, it's ok." Chad said as calmly as he could. He was trying to hide how scared he was on the inside. But it was obvious from the look in his eyes that he was nervous. "Look it's not gonna be the end of the world alright?" He sighed and sat down beside her. "Who else knows?"_

_"Just you." Taylor replied softly. "I wanted to know your reaction before I decided what to do. I mean, if I tell my parents about this they're going to jump down my throat and start questioning me how I'd raise a baby alone and then they'd start talking bad about you because they'll start jumping to conclusions. But I could also give the baby up after I have it and tell them when I first say that I'm expecting and hopefully they'll go along with that and tell me I'm doing the right thing. Or I could get an abortion and they'll never even know, but that means killing something...someone before it even has a chance to live."_

_Chad nodded as he listened to her. He could tell how scared Taylor was, he really could. He knew what he wanted her to do from the second she told him, but he knew that it was also her decision. Chad placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her. "Do you know what you wanna do?" he asked._

_"Not really." Taylor admitted, shaking her head._

_There was a moment of silence. Chad took a deep breath before speaking again. "Then get the abortion."_

_Taylor looked at him with a shocked face. "What?"_

_"Get the abortion." Chad repeated. "I've still got money left over from when we worked at the country club over the summer. We'll each put in some money and you'll get it aborted. Problem solved." He got off the bed and headed for the door._

_"No, problem not solved." Taylor replied as she stood up. "Chad how can you think about doing that? Killing something that's not even born yet?"_

_"I have my reasons Taylor." Chad said. "And trust me, if you knew what they were then you'd understand."_

_"So then tell me." she urged._

_"I can't. It's still a sore spot." Chad said. "Why can't you just trust me on this one?"_

_"Honestly, I'm trying to." Taylor replied. "But I'm having a hard time doing that right now. Why can't you understand where I'm coming from?"_

_"Because almost every way you slice it, you'd lose the baby." Chad said, turning to her. "And I see something more important that I don't want to lose."_

_For a few minutes they just stood there in silence staring at each other. Chad was trying to get a message through to Taylor. She knew he was trying to tell her something, even if he wouldn't share the whole thing. But she couldn't figure out what his problem was. Why would he be so willing to kill something so innocent? Surely if he shared his reasoning they could come to a decision without arguing. And she didn't want to end them over this. Taylor looked into his eyes and she could tell how pleading they were. She just wished she knew why Chad had to be like this. And she was hoping that there was a good reason behind it. There had to be, right? Taylor bit her tongue, trying to hold her ground as she heard her mother walk in the front door downstairs and say she was home._

_Chad could hear Taylor's mother. He also know that meant he had to go soon before he got caught up there. But he wanted an answer from Taylor. He wanted to show her how much he cared, how worried he really was about this. He took her hands and looked her in the eyes. "Listen Tay." he said softly. "I'll back you up whatever you decide. But I'm also saying what I want. I think we both have say in the matter here or else you wouldn't have called me over. I guess technically the final decision should be yours and only yours, but I'm also telling you this and what I think because I love you."_

_"And we'll both get through this?" she asked him quietly, blinking back tears._

_"We will." Chad promised nodding._

_"Ok." Taylor whispered. She took a deep breath before giving her answer. "Then I'll do it. I'll see when I can get it done." She took a final long pause, making sure that it was the choice she wanted to make. "I'll go through with the abortion." She regretted saying it, but something told her that it had to be done._

_Chad nodded and pulled her close. They held onto each other tightly, refusing to let go until what seemed like the last second. Chad held onto Taylor even tighter than he ever would have, praying that he convinced her to make the right move._

"Taylor? Taylor?" Dylan asked again, putting at the end of her shirt.

Taylor shook her head and snapped out of it. How long had she been out for? Her head shot down towards Dylan and she remembered why she was trying to avoid Chad yesterday. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asked.

"Dad called five minutes ago. He said dinner's ready." Dylan answered.

Taylor rubbed her head. Man she was in that flashback for a while now. "Right. Right, sorry." she apologized.

Dylan ran down the stairs and Taylor walked down after him, still rubbing her head. She made her way down slowly, feeling more uncomfortable as she reached the bottom. As soon as she walked into the living room she looked around, trying to figure out where Chad and Dylan were. Oh yeah, the dining room. She walked in there and saw Dylan jump onto his chair and Chad put the last plate of food down.

Chad looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "Is everything ok?" he asked her.

"Yeah, fine." Taylor nodded.

"Well, I hope mac and cheese is ok. It's Dill's favorite." Chad said. "And one of the only foods I can trust myself to make without burning something." he added in a joking tone.

Taylor smiled politely but she wasn't in a laughing mood. "Actually I think I'm going to head out instead. You guys go on and eat." She walked out of the dining room.

Chad blinked. He glanced at Dylan, who was still eating his food. Chad ran after Taylor and caught her as she reached the front door. "Tay are you sure everything's fine?" he asked her.

"Please don't call me that." she sighed as she turned to him. "I don't feel comfortable with you calling me that when we're not even friends."

"I wouldn't have invited you here if you weren't my friend." Chad replied.

"Your _son_ invited me, not you." Taylor responded, hissing at the word.

"Ok why are you in such a bad mood? Was it that run-in with my squirt of a sister earlier?" Chad asked. "Cause I talked to her and she left before I could throw a lecture onto her."

"No, but speaking of her she did remind me of something very important." Taylor said. "Hence the following question. What is your problem?"

"My problem?" Chad replied, confused. "I don't have a problem."

"Obviously you do. So let me get this straight, you tell me to have an abortion when we're seniors in high school and then less than a year later you meet some girl who clearly you think is the one so you tell her she can keep the baby?" Taylor interrogated.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." he said, trying not to raise his voice.

"Well that's kind of hard to believe considering your family in this house." she sneered.

"You don't know anything about my family. You never knew what happened to them." Chad insisted.

"Like I don't know what happened to your woman, I'm sure." Taylor said sarcastically, trying to hold her ground. "You met someone Chad. You had Dylan with her. I get that. What I don't get is why you practically forced me to abort the child we would have had all that time ago."

"The final choice was yours." Chad reminded her.

"I made that stupid choice because of what you told me!" Taylor argued, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "If I had my way I never would have killed it. And I ask myself all the time why I did it, and I thought I knew the answer. But I guess I don't. And I ask myself how much different things would have been if I went through having it. And I wish I never made the choice that I did."

"So you think it was all about you." Chad assumed, getting a little more annoyed now. "You think you were the only one affected by it. How do you think I felt when you told me? I was scared ok? But it's not for the reasons that you think. At least not completely. It wasn't completely that I was scared what our parents would say or because I'd be a father earlier than I wanted to or anything like that."

"Then what were you so scared of Chad?" she questioned.

"I was scared of losing you!" Chad nearly yelled.

Taylor only shook her head, obviously not believing him. "Fat chance." she choked. She turned away from him and walked out of the house.

Chad didn't know how to respond at first. At that moment he felt angrier than anything else. Not angry enough to break something, just angry enough to hit something. He didn't even see Dylan poke his head out of the dining room to see what was going on. Instead Chad just hit his fist against the door and ran his fingers through his hair in an annoyed manner. What a great way to spend dinner. Not.

* * *

Well that could've gone better, don't you think? I told you there'd be a lot of tension in this chapter. And now you've seen another flashback, you see one of the bumps in their relationship. Would you even call it that? Heck I don't know what to call it either. So, confused? Good. Cause there's no way I'm gonna be able to squeeze in typing another chapter tonight. So what kind of questions are going through your head? I don't even know what kind of questions are going through your head. I'm planning on hopefully answering them in the next chapter and if not, then the one after that. So until then all I can say is, behold the wait for the stubbornheads. See, cause at some point in this chapter they both proved to be stubborn? .... Ok ok, I'll shut up already.


	11. Chapter 10

So this is the next chapter. I think it's a good point to answer points of confusion. I know a lot of you were thinking the same thing. Probably things like who is Dylan's mother or what's going on between Chad and Taylor or something like that. I was even thinking about what to put in this chapter while I was at work last night. Don't even ask how that went, it was back and forth between good and bad. -_- And I'm probably not gonna be able to type a second chapter till tonight, hopefully, cause my parents are making me clean the playroom which happens to be where my computer is. They want me to clean the computer desk, the desk, and the floor. Hey I know it's a mess but seriously it's gonna take hours. So hello no fun. DX  
And once again as much as I'd love to, I don't own HSM.

* * *

"Taylor." the guy repeated.

Taylor snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the man walking beside her. He was about five foot ten and had light skin but a semi-muscular body, hazel eyes, and short hair that appeared to be an auburn shade. "What?" she asked.

"You were dazing out again. You seem really distracted." he said.

"I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind." Taylor apologized, rubbing her head. "It's probably not even fair that you could have spent today being with your family and instead you're here with me who's completely out of it."

"Hey I like spending time with you." he promised, putting his arm around her.

"Thanks Brian." Taylor replied with a small smile. She gave him a peck on the cheek.

"So really, what's on your mind?" Brian inquired.

Taylor didn't even know how to explain it. What should she tell him? An argument with a friend? Something going on with an ex? "I don't even know where to start." she shrugged, telling half the truth.

"Try me, I'm all ears." Brian said. "I'd kind of have to be to listen to students' papers right?"

"Yeah I suppose." she nodded. She paused for a minute to figure out how to explain it. "I guess you could call him sort of a friend from high school. He has a son who's about eight or nine years old I guess, and he and I were getting along really well. So I went over to their house for dinner last night. And it ended with an argument between me and my sort of friend and I stormed out."

"And do you have any opinions on the situation?" Brian asked.

"Aside from the fact that it was rude and disrespectful, I'm not sure what else to think about it." Taylor admitted. "And it wouldn't have even started if his younger sister didn't bring up this problem he and I had in high school. And she was giving me all of these riddles that I don't even know what to think of."

"Let me ask you this then." Brian said. After all, one of his jobs was to make people think. If he could do it with his students and it helped them then it should turn out the same for his girlfriend. "What do you think of it?"

Taylor thought for a minute. What was she supposed to tell him? That she felt bad about ending the dinner on a sour note before it even started? That she never wanted to jump down Chad's throat? That she only wanted to find out what was going on through that lunkhead brain of his?

"I guess it's not even something to be proud of." she admitted. "That it was wrong and rude and if he had anything to say then I should have just let him say it instead of storming out without even giving him the chance to explain it."

"And should I be worried about the two of you getting together?" Brian teased.

"Hey!" Taylor gasped, playfully slapping him on the arm. "Come on, do you really need to ask that?"

"Hey, a professor can cut loose once in a while can't he?" Brian shrugged.

Taylor only giggled. "Look I promise, there's nothing for you to worry about. He's just a friend if anything else. There's nothing romantic between us. I'm already in a relationship and I'm committed to it if you are."

"Of course I am." he said. He pecked her on the lips. He tried to make it deeper but Taylor giggled and playfully pushed him away. "We're not getting like that while walking down the street. Save it for another night." she said between giggled.

"Alright, a guy can take a hint." he smiled and rolled his eyes. "So we're still on for tonight then?"

"I think so. I'll keep in touch during the day." Taylor said. "I think right now there's something that I have to take care of."

"Work things out with your friend?" Brian asked.

"Yeah." she nodded. She kissed him and pulled back. "Try not to turn into an ugly green monster."

"I'm cool." he replied. "Really. No jealousy here. You've got my trust. If you didn't then I wouldn't want you to meet my parents."

Taylor's eyes widened. "Seriously?" she gasped.

"No doubt." he smiled. They pulled each other in for a hug and Taylor squealed. "Just call me and see if you can still make it tonight then, ok?" he asked.

"You've got it." Taylor smiled as she pulled away. "I'll call you in a few hours." They kissed once more and then Taylor was off. Things were going perfectly with her and Brian. So now she had to see if she could make things at least decent between her and Chad.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Taylor took a deep breath as she knocked on Chad's door an hour or so later. She took a step back from the door and patiently waited for him to answer the door. She was just hoping they wouldn't be on the wrong foot like they ended off on last night. Taylor at least wanted to make an effort to make things right. She just stood there in the doorway thinking about what she and Chad had been through together. Not everything the two went through was all bad, and this certainly wasn't going to be the end of it. Taylor snapped out of her thoughts when she looked down to see Dylan answer the door. A smile came across the boy's face as he ran over to her.

"Hi Taylor!" he exclaimed.

"Hey." Taylor replied with a small smile. She picked him up. "Are you sure you're old enough to answer the door by yourself?" she teased.

"Uh-huh. Dad says I'm a big boy." Dylan grinned.

"You sure seem like one, a few more pounds and I won't be able to carry you anymore." she joked.

Dylan smiled and jumped down, nearly dragging her into the house. "What are you doing here?" he wondered.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to your father." Taylor replied as she closed the door behind her. "Is it a bad time?"

"I don't know." Dylan said as he turned to her. "He's been sitting outside all day. He only came in to feed me and use the bathroom."

"Do you think it's possible that I could go talk to him?" Taylor wondered. "It's kind of important."

"I can take you to him." he smiled.

"Just him and me please. It's kind of private." Taylor said.

Dylan cocked his head in confusion. "I don't get it."

"I'm sure not a lot of people would." Taylor replied, rubbing his head. "So where did you say he was?"

"Outside on the back porch." Dylan answered, pointing in the direction of the dining room. "There's the door in the back of that room that leads outside."

Taylor nodded. "Thank you." she said. She headed in the direction she was told to go. Yes, in the back of the dining room there was a screen door leading to a porch in the backyard. She could see Chad sitting at the edge of it, his back facing the door. Taylor watched him for a minute, looking for any sudden movements. Nothing. So she took a deep breath and slowly opened the door, stepped out, and closed it behind her. She moved some hair out of her face and quietly cleared her throat. Chad turned his head around for a moment to look at her, then turned away. Taylor sighed and walked over.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked softly.

"Not unless I can stretch myself out to lay across the whole porch." Chad replied.

Normally Taylor would have found that funny. But with Chad's tone clearly it wasn't in a joking manner. She sat down beside him and placed her hands in her lap. "I wanted to apologize about yesterday." she spoke. "The way I just stormed out and yelled at you when I was a guest here was rude and disrespectful."

"Don't forget mean, harsh, icy, insensitive..." Chad added.

"Ok, yeah. All of those things and probably more." Taylor agreed. "And I really am sorry."

"Why did you snap at me the way you did anyway?" Chad asked, not taking a second to look at her.

"I'm not even sure I know the answer." she admitted. "Maybe it was just the thought of the memory or remembering it after all this time..."

"And you didn't even let me explain my side even though you thought it was all about you." Chad added.

"But I'm ready to hear it now. Everything." Taylor said.

Chad raised an eyebrow and turned his head slightly to her.

"I want to know about your family Chad. All of it. Why you're only here with Dylan and Sharon, what happened to Dylan's mother and why you didn't have her get an abortion, why you had me do that...everything." she explained. "You've got my undivided attention."

Not many people did know about Chad's family. All they knew was that he was living with his sister. Hardly anyone even knew about Dylan. The reunion was the first time anyone knew about it. Chad had been trying to keep it all to himself for so long thinking that it wasn't anyone's business and that it was nothing to worry about. But he should have known that he couldn't hide it forever. Not all secrets are meant to be secrets. They have to be told sooner or later. And now was that time.

"About half of the time I was at college I was still living with my folks. I was saving up some money for my own place and I figured until then, why move out of the house. And everything was working out pretty well. I moved out during junior year and by that time I think Sharon started middle school." Chad explained. "She and my dad were really close, and while he thought my skills with sports was so impressive, he thought that with everything Sharon could do that I couldn't, she was more special. And somehow, it got to a point where in college my mind wasn't completely focused on basketball. So my dad and I grew apart. But my mom and I were always close. Even after I moved out of the house she would visit me two days every weekend even if she had to work. She'd usually come to my place Friday night for dinner and I'd tell her how school was going and then we'd go to the movies or something the next day. So then when I graduated college we kept that up and by that time the squirt was in high school.

"That's when it happened. I think it was the year of my parents' thirtieth anniversary or some other number like that." he continued. "They told me to look after my sister while they were gone. They said it would only be for a week. They'd be flying to Hawaii or something. They got there fine and had a blast, but..." Chad paused to try and gather his thoughts about the memory for a minute. "...but they never made it back home. I don't remember all the details but there was some kind of storm while they were in the sky. The plane got struck and abut three-fourths of the passengers had some kind of injury, a rare few were just fine, and the rest didn't make it. My parents were in that last fraction. So I had to go through their will and, wouldn't you know it, I had custody of my sister, she had to move in with my until she was eighteen, and we went through the works. That's how she and I ended up here."

Taylor's face fell. She had no idea. Ok, maybe if she and Chad never broke up then she'd know and she could have been there for him. But she wasn't. Who was even there to help him through it besides Troy? And it wasn't like Sharon counted either, since she and Chad were natural sibling enemies or something. But that would also explain why she'd be in an angrier mood than she used to be. The most Taylor ever had to deal with her parents during or after college was them moving out of New Mexico. And the only person she had told about that was Gabriella.

"I guess I can't say that I'm sorry because that's not going to bring them back or make anything better." Taylor finally said softly. "And I can't say that I know what you went through. But I do know what it's like to lose people who are that close to you."

"Really?" Chad asked doubtfully.

Taylor nodded. She bit her tongue and took a breath before she started. "You know I had an older brother and sister, right? My brother always wanted to be in the army and he pretty much got in after he finished high school. He was to Iraq to fight in the war." she explained. "And for a while everything was going great. He was getting through ok, my parents heard from him every week.... And then when we were freshmen in college that's when my parents got the call. There was some kind of bombing and he didn't make it out. And that's not even the worst of it." Taylor moved some hair out of her face as she continued. "My older sister was living in Santa Fe at the time, and she had just graduated college. She didn't hear about my brother at the time, and it must have been around the time he died, less than a week before. There was a car accident when she was with her friends. She survived but suffered some kind of brain damage. I don't even remember it now, other than the fact that it gave her amnesia and she remembered nothing. My parents lost their two eldest children and it killed them on the inside. So they moved out of the state, hoping to get away from the tragedies they had to deal with."

"You never even got along with your brother. And you and your sister were so different." Chad stated.

"Those things don't matter. They were still my elder siblings and there were those few rare times where we all got along or where I looked up to them." Taylor replied. "And it hurt to lose one of them and to have a sister who doesn't even know who I was. In a way I lost both of them. I know it's not the same as you losing your parents but it wasn't any easier on me either."

"And it probably wouldn't make it any better if I said sorry either." Chad guessed.

"Pretty much." Taylor nodded. "I know you must feel alone Chad, and there were times where I did too. But it doesn't have to be that way. You've got so much more than you realize." She was looking directly into his eyes when she spoke, showing him that she meant it. She was hoping he got the message.

"And I bet the same goes for you, too." Chad agreed with a nod, meeting her eyes.

Taylor looked down for a minute and pushed some more hair behind her ear. "You never mentioned how Dylan must have felt through all that. What did he think losing his grandparents?"

"He never knew them." Chad admitted.

Taylor looked at him, a bit perplexed to say the least. "That doesn't make any sense. He's about eight or nine isn't he? He should have been around when it happened."

"He turned nine a couple of weeks ago, I believe." Chad said. "But I didn't have him when my parents were around."

Taylor raised an eyebrow. She had always been one step ahead of Chad, being the one toying with his mind. She would lead him and he would follow. Well in that sense, anyway. But for once it was the other way around. "I'm not sure I understand."

Chad sighed. He ran a hand through his hair as he made his confession. "Dylan isn't mine. I never got together with another girl after high school, I was never in another relationship, I never hooked up with anyone, I never had a son. Dylan isn't really mine."

"What are you saying? That he's adopted?" Taylor inquired.

"Pretty much." Chad admitted. "Neither of us know who his real mother is. I don't even think he knew his real father. But I'm not it. Even if Dill knows I'm not his real dad he still calls me it. And I don't know why." He looked away again but Taylor only cocked her head and tried to meet with Chad's eyes again.

"It's probably because you treat him as though he were your own. If he never really knew his true parents then naturally Dylan would stick to you like a real father and son." she said. "I know that he respects you. You want what's best for him and you clearly show it. Even if you and he aren't blood related it won't stop you two from acting like a real family."

"When you say it like that you make it seem like it's the only answer." Chad stated.

"That's what I'm here for." Taylor replied. "And if I had known about this sooner then I never would have jumped down your throat with those conclusions."

Chad looked at her. "I guess I can't blame you. If it was the other way around, I might have gotten really protective too."

"Well if you ever want to talk about all of it, I'm not flying back home right away. I'll still be here." Taylor promised.

"I really appreciate that Tay." Chad said with a small smile. Taylor smiled back. Chad reached in to hug her but Taylor moved away slightly.

"There's still one more matter we need to discuss." she told him.

Chad nodded, knowing what she was talking about. "The abortion thing."

"Why did you want me to go through with that so badly?" Taylor asked. "You practically forced me into it."

"I didn't mean it to be like that." Chad said. "I thought I was gonna lose you if you didn't go through with it."

"What are you talking about? Supposedly we would have stayed together the entire nine months if we didn't do it." Taylor replied. "How on earth would you lose me?"

"Not everyone who gives birth survives the delivery, Tay." Chad replied. "Sometimes it's a miscarriage, other times the mother wouldn't make it through. And I didn't want to see that happen."

Taylor quirked an eyebrow. "Did you really think I wouldn't make it through delivering a baby?"

"Tay you're a strong girl. We both know that." Chad replied. "But you're stronger mentally than you are physically. And back then I was scared out of my mind to lose you at the time. There'd be no way I could raise a baby on my own. If I had to choose between killing an unborn baby and saving you or watching you die and having nothing left of you but a baby then I'd pick the first option every time."

Taylor responded a lot quicker than she normally would, despite the fact that so many thoughts were roaming through her head now. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner? I would have understood. And even back then I would have thought that it was sweet. I know your heart was in the right place."

"What was I supposed to say? Talk about how I've seen it happen before? Tell you how freaked out I was?" Chad asked.

"All of the above." Taylor replied simply yet softly. She looked down at his hands, then back at him. She slowly placed a hand over Chad's. "I can't say that I'm still not annoyed about going through with that and I can't say that I'm not mad at you for convincing me to do that." She saw Chad looked down, appearing disappointed. But her look softened as she finished her statement. "But I can say that it was sweet of you to care so much and I can't be mad at you for that."

Chad blinked and picked up his head to look at Taylor. "Do you really mean that?" he asked.

Taylor nodded as her eyes met with his again. "Yeah. I do. And I'm still here for you to talk to. I'm not going anywhere."

Chad smiled. He pulled her in for a hug again and this time Taylor didn't back away. She accepted him embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. "That really means a lot to me." Chad said. "I know that when worse comes to worse I can count on you. You're a good friend."

Taylor smiled and his statement. "You're not so bad yourself."

"Well you're always gonna be welcome here." Chad said. "Dill really seemed to take a liking to you."

"You deserve the credit for that Chad." Taylor replied. "He's got a good father figure."

"I'd say he's got a pretty good mother figure, too." Chad stated. As soon as they both realized what he said, they pulled out of the hug and looked at each other, though their arms were still on each other. Taylor looked a bit shocked and Chad couldn't believe he had actually said that. Neither of them knew what to do at first, though they both knew what they wanted to do. Chad started leaning in after a minute. At first Taylor leaned in and she briefly paused. She knew she shouldn't, that it wouldn't be right. But for some reason she couldn't keep herself at bay for long. She couldn't take her eyes off of him and he looked so sincere, like he really did care. And Chad knew what he wanted. He'd only been picturing it in his head for years. Now was as good as time as any to go through with it, only holding the fear of rejection. But how could he know what else was going on with Taylor? They both just kept leaning in until their lips connected. It was soft and gentle just like it had always been. Chad wrapped his arms around Taylor and pulled her in a little closer and Taylor's arms went around his neck. It felt so comfortable, so right. Neither of them wanted to pull away. but the longer the kiss lasted the more Taylor knew she had to get out of it. As much as she didn't want to it had to be done. She forced herself to get out of Chad's grip. Chad pulled away and looked at her confused.

"I'm sorry." Taylor apologized. "But I can't do this." She stood up and headed back inside so she could leave.

"Tay wait." Chad called. He followed after her. "What did I do?"

"It's not just what you did, it's what I did too." Taylor replied. "I can't do this. I have a boyfriend."

Chad stopped in his tracks by the time they entered the living room. He was caught completely off guard. "I'm sorry." he apologized right away. "If I knew then I never would have..."

"I know." she cut him off. She stopped and the door and turned to face Chad. "Look...let's just pretend that never happened. We never had a moment back there and we never...." Taylor paused and looked at the ground, then picked her head up to look at Chad. She could feel a lump rising in her throat. "I have to go." she forced out. She immediately spun around and practically ran out of the house to get away from Chad. But instead of running away from the house and just wrapped her arms around herself and breathed heavily, not wanting to admit to herself that she wished at this point she didn't have a boyfriend.

But Chad wasn't mad at Taylor for rushing out this time. He wasn't annoyed, angry, or anything of the sort. He just sighed and looked at the ground. He shook his head, hoping that his assumption was wrong. But now the only thought that was running through his head was, _Guess it wasn't meant to be._

* * *

So how was this chapter? You found out a lot of stuff didn't you? I had a few different ideas on how to end it and how Chad and Taylor should have their "moment". It was also a little hard since I was watching Degrassi at the same time. And now I have to clean the stinking playroom and eventually take a break for lunch. Yeah, great way to spend a Sunday huh? XD So I don't think there's much else to say down here. I'll see if I can add anything else to the story today and if not I'll throw something together after school tomorrow. Till then, later people!


	12. Chapter 11

Alright this is really hard. I'm trying to figure out a way to keep the suspense of this story going but you guys already know most of the story don't you? Now the last chapter didn't have any flashbacks because they were talking about the past. So I'm gonna make everything in this chapter up as I go along. I love to hear suggestions too, on what else you guys think the story might need. And this is only what, chapter eleven? I don't wanna end this in two more chapters, you know? So how are all your stories going? Very well, I hope. ^^ I'm also watching a True Jackson VP marathon on the N right now. I feel like the next time I write an HSM fanfic Keke Palmer should be in it. I have no idea why. XD Ok what else do I have to say? Oh, yeah my sonfics. I'm on a minor writer's block for that so that's why it hasn't been updated in a few days. A few days or a week? Yeah something like that. I think I might actually read them and hope it gives me more ideas or something. There's bound to be at least one of my ideas I like. XDDD Ok, now last order of business in the reall long author's note up here is to say thanks for the reviews so far. So thanks to digigirl02, Always-Here-Imani, and ChaylorTwilightQueen10. So, onto the story!

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Gabriella sighed as she stared up at the ceiling in her bedroom. It was now late at night and even with Troy sleeping beside her (dressed decently, of course) she still couldn't help but feel distracted. Stella had already left the house and when Taylor came back she wanted to be alone. Gabriella could have sworn the girl had plans but with the way she was in the guest room the whole night, they were canceled. Don't get her wrong, Gabriella tried talking to Taylor, but it didn't end with answers. Gabriella knew something was wrong but she didn't know what to do to help. Gabriella snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Troy stir next to her. She turned to face him.

"Gabs how come you're not sleeping?" he yawned. "It's past midnight already."

"I'm just doing a lot of thinking." Gabriella admitted. "I'm worried about Taylor. And the house is kind of empty without Stella around."

"She's your cousin. I pass messages from her to you and back all the time." Troy replied.

"And I'm glad you two get along, really. But that doesn't help me with Taylor." Gabriella said. "She didn't say two words to me since she got back. She didn't even say where she was today or anything. All I know was that she was supposed to have dinner with Brian and his family tonight. But she never left when she came back."

Troy blinked. "Taylor has a boyfriend? Who's not Chad?"

"Yeah." Gabriella nodded. "Didn't I mention it to you?"

"If you did then I don't remember. Do you know how much Chad thinks about her?" he replied.

"If I knew he did then I would have figured out a way to get them together. But you never told me and Taylor was always so ticked at Chad about senior year." Gabriella explained.

"Just because of the breakup?" Troy asked. "Chad hasn't been the same since."

"I was talking with Taylor the other night while we were eating dinner." Gabriella stated. "She said that Chad hasn't been himself since before then. And she was going to find out why, but she never mentioned anything."

"And people told us we had problems." he muttered.

"Huh?" Gabriella quirked an eyebrow.

"Nothing." Troy lied.

Gabriella sighed. "I just want my best friend to be happy. I'm happy with you, Sharpay's overjoyed with Zeke, and Ryan...well, we never know what he thinks relationship wise but we know he'll be overjoyed when he finally opens that hat store."

"He should give it up. It's not gonna happen." Troy said.

"Way to support a co-worker." she stated.

"I'm just saying." Troy shrugged.

"Troy what are we going to do? She's so thrilled with Brian but I really think that if she still has feelings for Chad and he has them then they need to get together." she said.

"But what about Chad and that kid he's got?" he asked.

"I don't even know. I'm just hoping that he comes clean and tells us and Taylor what happened soon." Gabriella replied, not knowing it already happened earlier.

"I'll see if I can talk to Chad tomorrow." Troy offered. "I'll get him to come by the community theater so we can fix it up some more. Maybe when we're done we can have a theater warming party. We'll have dancing, karaoke and everything."

Gabriella giggled. Troy always knew how to lift her spirits. She could go for a good party soon. "And I'll see if I can talk to Taylor in the morning." she added. "She can't stay in the guest bedroom forever, especially when she has to be back at her job in August."

"So how about we get some more sleep until then." Troy suggested. "We can take care of everything in the morning."

"Ok." Gabriella yawned in agreement. "Good-night Troy."

"Night Gabs." Troy replied. They briefly kissed, covered themselves in the blankets again, and then fell to sleep.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Well Troy and Gabriella's plan didn't go as well as they planned. By the time Gabriella went to check in on Taylor the guest room was empty. And when Troy tried calling Chad there was no answer. Troy and Gabriella tried calling each other to see what was going on, but both were at a loss of ideas. It wasn't like they even knew where their friends went. But even as Gabriella continued searching her house to see if there was a room she missed, she found Taylor's cell phone. Now Gabriella knew it was wrong to read private messages and everything. But she wasn't really going to; it was a matter of seeing how many calls Taylor missed. There was a total of twenty missed calls, most of which were from Brian. Gabriella could tell the guy cares about Taylor, but why wouldn't Taylor talk to him?

What neither Troy or Gabriella knew was that Chad and Taylor had gone to meet each other. Taylor was at the park waiting for Chad. They sent a few text messages back and forth to each other before deciding that they had to do something. Luckily it was a school day and the park was fairly empty, so the two could have some peace and quiet to talk in.

It was now ten a.m. and Taylor was looking around for Chad. She didn't even know what to say to him. So what if she had some feelings for the guy? She was still loyal to Brian and he was a perfectly good guy. She knew she'd have to choose but she wasn't sure if she could bring herself to do so. Maybe she was better off just being single. It had its advantages after all; like she'd really need a guy to be happy. Oh who was she kidding? As much as she wasn't into it before high school, Taylor felt comfortable in a relationship. With Brian she was with a guy on the same intellectual level as her who was kind, friendly, and good company. And then there was Chad, who was practically her opposite in every way but they just worked together. Taylor kept telling herself that the answer was to stop talking to Chad. That the kiss they had was an accident that was never supposed to happen. But on the other hand, she didn't know how long she could go without him now that they spent time together and were actually seeing eye to eye. Taylor moaned and pushed some bangs out of her face. This was not the vacation she was hoping for.

Chad on the other hand was on his way to the park. He dropped Dill off at a school, since he had missed it yesterday, so it's just be him and Taylor. That's how he wanted it to be. But he was still freaking out about it. If he knew she had a boyfriend then he would have never even touched her. Chad didn't even know how he should feel about that. Should he be happy that she met someone, or depressed that it wasn't him she was seeing? Chad didn't even know what they were going to talk about but he knew they needed it. He knew he still had feelings for Taylor but he couldn't admit them to her now, not if her relationship was going so well. So the least he could do was see the guy and make sure he was right for her, right? Or hear about him. Yeah, something like that. He finally parked in the parking lot and headed into the park to find Taylor. After walking for a bit he spotted her sitting on a bench. Chad took a deep breath and went over to her.

"Hey Taylor." he greeted.

Taylor picked her head up and looked at Chad. "Hey." she replied softly.

Chad sat down next to her. There was a moment of silence until he spoke up again. "We need to talk don't we?"

"Yeah. We do." Taylor nodded. "I should have mentioned that I had a boyfriend."

"And it probably would have been easier if I said from the start that I never had anyone else." Chad added.

Ok this was getting awkward. They both already knew that. What else was there to say?

"I just don't want there to be any drama in the middle of all this." Taylor said. "I don't want you and Brian jumping down each other's throats or having one of you watch me every five minutes."

"Brian's the guy huh?" he guessed.

"He's a good guy, Chad." Taylor replied. "He and I work at the same university. And he trusts me. And I feel bad that I cheated on him."

"How can you say you cheated on him? It was one kiss." Chad said.

"One that would have gone a lot further if we didn't stop when we did." she corrected. "I feel guilty about it. I don't feel bad about kissing you but I do feel bad that I kissed someone behind Brian's back. And I know he wouldn't do that with me so why should I do it with him?"

"How long have you known him?" Chad asked.

"A couple of weeks tops, I suppose." she assumed.

"So you're just assuming that he wouldn't do a bunch of bad stuff to you in a short amount of time." he replied.

"Don't put words in my mouth." Taylor said. "I trust him and he trusts me. There has to be that in a relationship for it to work at all."

"Ok so what else do you know about him?" he asked.

"What's with all of these questions anyway?" Taylor replied.

"I just want to make sure he's good enough for you. That he's right for you." Chad confessed. "I wasn't right for you, I get it. That's why we fought. That's why we broke up. But I wanna know that's he's good enough for you."

"This is a change." she observed. "I haven't seen you this insistent since graduation."

"What are you talking about?" Chad quirked an eyebrow.

"You changed since that school shooting." Taylor informed him. "You don't seem as energetic as you used to. You seem to look at everything differently."

"I think getting shot anywhere on the body can do that to a person." Chad said. "And maybe I did change."

"Care to expand?" she asked.

Chad intertwined his fingers with each other. He placed his hands on his lap and leaned forward; he and Taylor had barely looked at each other since they started talking. "I figured out something after that shooting." he spoke. "I know that getting shot can change a person even if the damage isn't permanent. But when someone does get shot and it isn't fatal there's a reason for it. And I don't think it's just because it signifies a person's time to go. Obviously something was wrong with me before that day. And I was given a second chance. And I found out what it was. I found out that there's more to life than just a love life or sports or whatever. Sometimes there's people who need you more than you need any one thing or one person. Some people are more important than others. I knew who was most important to me back then. But things changed. So were the people that I was supposed to care about.

"I ran into a friend from college about a year after we graduated." he continued. "He was working at some place that was gonna close down or something. I don't know, it was some kind of apartment complex for all I know. And there were a lot of people in there who had to relocate. There was an area in there I guess for kids with no families. Dill was one of those kids. I just went by for a few days to help out or whatever. And then somehow Dylan and I got talking and we hit it off. And that's when I realized why nothing happened to me. Most of the other kids there were able to get some kind of home. Dill was one of the last ones. And I just wonder if I wasn't there, what would have happened to him. That's why I changed. I can't look at life like some kind of a joke anymore. I have to know what's important."

"So you're just starting to take things more seriously then." Taylor noted. "That's good. But it doesn't mean you have to leave the person you used to be behind."

"I don't follow." he shook his head.

"Everyone has flaws Chad. Your flaws were that you were selfish, egotistical, arrogant, stubborn, and clueless." Taylor replied. "But you were also funny, strong, athletic, sweet, fun, and brave. So you just matured a little more. But that doesn't mean you have to leave everything else about you behind. Last I checked, you were never a serious person."

"I guess with everything that happened between college and now I have a reason to think otherwise." Chad stated.

"Trust me, you don't have to change as much as you think you did. And I wouldn't be saying that if it didn't mean something." she replied.

"I really appreciate that Tay. It means a lot that you're telling me all this." Chad said. "But that doesn't mean I still can't be protective. I wanna make sure you're ok."

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Taylor replied. "But I don't want to turn my back on Brian anymore. I'm with him right now and I want to stick to that."

"I just hope you're not giving up our friendship because of that. Dylan would probably be upset if you did." he joked.

Taylor giggled. "He the only one?"

"I think I'll just leave that to your imagination." Chad teased.

Taylor smiled and shook her head. "You're a good guy too, Chad. Don't forget it."

"As long as you're around, I won't." he promised with a smile. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then he realized what he did and back away a little. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."

Taylor put a finger to his lips and cut him off. "Don't apologize." she grinned. "It's fine, really." She didn't want to admit it, but she felt comfortable. When Taylor was with Brian, she just felt happy and relaxed. It was different with Chad. She felt completely protected. She felt like she had nothing to hide. But that didn't mean Taylor could have any relationships romantically with Chad. She was with Brian and she was sticking to that until the time would come for a possible breakup.

Wait a second...Brian! "I should probably go now." she realized, standing up. "I have to let Brian know why I didn't see him last night."

"Then I shouldn't stand in your way." Chad said. "Just let me know if he tries anything funny with you."

"Trust me with the way you are, you'll be the first or the second to know." she replied.

"Wait, second?" he asked blinking.

"Gabriella would want to know, too. I'm staying under her roof while I'm here." Taylor reminded him. "But trust me, when Troy goes over there it's third wheel central."

"Well if the next time Troy and Gabs are together and you need someplace to hang..." Chad started casually.

Taylor smiled. "Your door's always open for me." she remembered.

Chad smiled and nodded. "Exactly."

Ok so Taylor felt a little better talking to Chad now. She knew she was still interested in him, but at least they reached an agreement. All she had to do was keep her actions in check and make sure nothing went too far. She'd tell Brian what was going on and explain everything to him. And if he really trusted her then he'd understand. That would make her feel better and hopefully help her decide which one she'd want. What, you didn't see that thought coming?

"I'll see you later then." she smiled before leaving the park.

Chad watched Taylor as she slowly disappeared from his sight. He couldn't get any ideas with her. It had to be a strict friendship between them until further notice. But it was something and that was good enough for Chad. At least they felt comfortable around each other and they knew they could talk. And Chad couldn't help but feel right around Taylor. Even though he had gone on a couple of dates in college, he never felt anything with them like he did with Taylor. And the last thing he wanted was to see her get hurt. So as much as he wanted something more with her, he knew how wrong it would be to risk the relationship she was in. He could wait for her. And he would.

"Yeah.... Later."

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Yeah a lame chapter, I know. But really, how long did you want to see awkwardness between Chad and Taylor? And for you Troy and Gabriella fans, brief moment in there for you. So again, I'm not sure what else to do to keep the story going for more than two chapters. I love hearing suggestions, so it's all good. I'm gonna stop here for the night cause I got my first day back at school tomorrow and I gotta thin of any other ideas to type foe this and the songfics. And I wanna read other stories, too. Hey at the rate I go, I'll reread some stories if I have to. XD Yeah, lazy person right here. So what else to say? Um, actually I think that's about it. So I'll hopefully update sometime tomorrow and keep my eyes open for opinions and/or suggestions. So until later, peace out people! xD Maybe there's something good on TV tonight....


	13. Chapter 12

I'm such a bad girl, I haven't updated in like a whole day. DX I would've updated sooner but i got distracted. Don't ask, it was not fun. Anyway, I found so many typos in a ton of my stories. So if you see them being updated a lot at some point then it's probably to fix all the typos. Now as for this chapter, I only got one suggestion on what else to add to the story. It's a good idea but I'm not gonna jump in anything just yet. We gotta slow it down a notch and see what happens. Let's see where this chapter takes us and if any more questions are left. And ask you know, I'm not an owner of HSM.

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"C'mon dude, you gotta spill now and you know it." Troy insisted. "I saw him at the reunion and I'm looking at him now."

"Troy he's just a kid. Don't jump down his or my throat over it." Chad sighed.

"But this is why you've been acting so friggen crazy for who knows how long anymore." he replied. "I thought we were like brothers. I have the right to know."

Chad moaned. He put Dylan down and took a few steps closer to Troy, looking annoyed. "Stop talking to me like that. You don't know what I've been through. You don't know what he's been through. So let it alone."

"That's because you always keep to yourself. You're not the same you were anymore Chad. I don't even know you anymore. And for knowing each other as long as we did, that's saying something." Troy said.

Chad could tell Troy was annoyed. He could understand that; if it were the other way around Chad's actions would probably be similar. But still, that have the guy no right to jump down his throat. And what right did he have to yell at a little kid? Troy knew nothing about Dylan or what he or Chad went through. Who gave Troy the privilege to determine what was wrong with a friend's life anyway?

"I don't even know why I'm still standing here listening to you." Chad finally shook his head. He gave Troy what looked like a disappointed look. "Do you wanna know why I've been acting different from the guy you knew? You wanna know why I'm so much more distracted and why I'm so weird? Well here's a newsflash for you man. I got a kid. And he's not even mine. I'm not his real dad. He knows squat about his real family. I'm the closest thing he has Troy. So I'm raising him, whether you like it or not."

"You can't even raise your sister by yourself. She gives you a pain in the butt time." Troy replied.

"Well at least I'm not raising her by myself the whole time. At least my folks were around. But now they're not. I'm her guardian, I'm Dylan's guardian and that's the way it's going to be." Chad warned.

Troy just shook his head. "Why don't you just get out of my theater? I don't think I want your help anymore."

"Well maybe I will." Chad replied. "C'mon Dill, we're getting outta here." He turned around to face Dylan, but the boy was nowhere to be found. Chad blinked and looked around. "Dill? Dylan?" he called. He spun back to Troy. "What did you do with Dylan?" Chad demanded.

"I was arguing with you the whole time." Troy said. "Why would I take him when I'm busy?"

"You know what just forget it." Chad shook his head. "I'm gonna go find him. You just stay here and do whatever you want. Don't bother helping." Then he turned around and left, slamming the door behind him.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Dylan was already out of sight from Chad. He was nowhere near the community theater anymore. Alright, that's a lie; he wasn't even half a mile away. Truth was, he had left in the opposite direction that Chad was searching. Pretty crazy, huh? For an eight or nine year old to be wandering around by himself with no parental figures nearby or anything. Why had he even done it?

Hey, children had feelings, too. As a matter of fact, their feelings were hurt so much easier than others. And Dylan was a pretty sensitive kid. Why do you think he was so attached to people so easily? He was naive; the closer he grew to people the less he'd realize that they all wouldn't be good on him. It didn't even seem to make any sense but that was how Dylan was.

Finally, the boy just started running. He sped as fast as he could away from the community theater, wishing that he never heard Chad say those things. How could he even think that? Chad was his father. He was the only father Dylan knew. And to hear him say that he wasn't, it just hurt. And as a little kid, how could he know what was going on?

He finally stopped running and fell back onto the ground when he ran into something. Or someone.

The taller male leaned down gently and looked at Dylan. "Are you ok?" he asked him.

Dylan just sniffed and sat up. "My dad said...he said he's not my dad." he cried.

"Now who could say that about you?" he asked.

"I dunno. But he did." Dylan whined.

The male just stared at Dylan. There was something familiar about him. Maybe it was just his imagination, or that just one little thing about the kid reminded him of himself. But it was probably nothing. He shook it off and held his hand out to Dylan.

"Come here little guy. Let's give you some space huh?"

Dylan looked up at the male teary-eyed. He just stared at him for a long minute, wondering what he should do. If it would keep him away from the man who he thought was his father.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"A...A...A...A-...C...B+..." Taylor said to herself as she typed on her laptop, entering in the last grades for her students. She had everything saved on her laptop before coming to New Mexico and she had to make sure all of the final grades would be in. With a file saved at the bottom of the screen and an Internet window taking up the remainder of the screen, she used the minimized word document of observations on her students to assist her with the grades.

"And D." she finished, saving everything she needed to. Yeah, not a good way to officially end the semester as a professor by giving the last student a D. But what else to do, right? Needless to say, she was pleased. That class was the lowest amount of failures she's had since the previous semester. It was all good. Taylor closed her laptop and placed it down before lying down on the bed. Her hands went under her head and she stared up at the ceiling.

_I just wish I could get him out of my head,_ Taylor confessed in her mind. _I know Chad acted more comfortable than he led on to believe. What kind of act is he trying to pursue? There has to be some kind of catch._

But what proof was there? She certainly wasn't a mind reader and in retrospect there was nothing to be concerned with. It could have been her imagination, after all. But then again, after what happened between them before college it shouldn't be surprising. Maybe he thought she moved on. Quite frankly, Taylor believed she had moved on as well. But as she stared at the ceiling and took in the silence of the guest room, Taylor couldn't help but drift back to that day.

_It seemed just fine when they were silent. It was a bright summer day and only a matter of time now before Taylor would be off to college. Yale was her dream college; she wanted to go there her entire life. The only issue was that it was on the other side of the country. Now Taylor was fine with traveling and seeing new places; there was nothing wrong with that. But on the other hand, most of her friends would at least be staying on the west coast. Taylor felt weird heading in the opposite direction as them, to say the least. Her family had the utmost confidence in her of course, but there were still other very important people she'd be leaving behind._

_And everything had been fine until they broke out of their kiss. It wasn't anything over the top, just some light making out on her bed. The aura in the room was perfect and it felt like what the two of them had nothing could destroy. And if they hadn't broken the kissing and started talking about how difficult it might be for them to keep in contact over the years then nothing bad would have happened. The gentle words Taylor and Chad once shared with each other was become more vulgar by the minute._

_"If we ended this right after graduation then we wouldn't be clinging to each other right now." Chad was saying._

_"Sorry for wanting to spend the rest of my time here with you." Taylor said sarcastically. She could have easily chosen to hang out with Gabriella instead, but she didn't. She chose to be with Chad, the guy who she thought she loved. "You know this isn't the time to be bringing any of this up."_

_"So when were we supposed to bring it up? At the airport?" Chad asked._

_"You really are clueless aren't you?" With both of them still lying on her bed, Taylor pushed herself out from under Chad so she could get off the bed, or at least sit upright._

_Chad saw what she was doing and moved off of her to make the squirming easier. "You think I wanna do this?"_

_Those words hurt. Was he implying that he didn't even want to be near her right now? That when they were kissing and pulling each others' shirts off he never wanted to do it but rather just go with the flow? "If I knew you didn't want to come over then I wouldn't have called so we could spend these last two days together." she said coolly._

_"I didn't mean that." Chad said quickly, thinking he knew where she was coming from._

_"Right, it was just about the kissing. Sorry, I forgot that single guys don't kiss girls they're not dating." she replied, making sure her icy tone was heard._

_Chad got off the bed so he could stand in front of Taylor, meeting her face to face. "What disintegrated in here?"_

_"Our relationship, that's what disintegrated." she retorted angrily. With Chad's shirt visible on the floor, Taylor picked it up and pushed it into his hands. "This would be a good time for you to leave. I've got packing to do."_

_"So you're not even gonna let me finish?" Chad asked._

_"There's nothing to finish." Taylor argued. "If I knew you were going to be like this then I would have suggested a breakup long before we I guess then you'd just make a fuss about that, too."_

_"Because I don't want to break up." he replied. It wasn't like he didn't mean it._

_"Well if you didn't then you shouldn't have started implying it." she retorted._

_"You know what, you're putting up the same fight you did six months ago." Chad raised his voice slightly, thinking about the dilemma they had gone through about possibly becoming teen parents._

_"And even then it was a good idea to break up. What were you even thinking when you forced me to go through what I did?" she questioned in an irritated manner._

_"I was thinking I didn't wanna lose you." Chad answered._

_"Well you don't have to worry about losing me anymore. Because come this Wednesday I'm gone and you'll never have to deal with me again." she informed him._

_"But Tay..." he started._

_Taylor didn't want to hear it anymore. She wanted to be alone. She didn't want Chad to see her break down and she didn't want to put this off and think she'd regret it in the long run, even if she'd regret it now. "You have until the count of three to get out of my room and leave this one to three. No stalling with fractions, decimals, or anything. And by the time I hit three I had better see you leaving this room or hear you close that front door on your way out of my life."_

_"Do you even know what's coming out of your mouth?" Chad insisted. He couldn't be talking to the same Taylor he was with five minutes ago._

_But Taylor wouldn't hear of it. "One."_

_"So we're just gonna end it like this now then?" he asked._

_"Two." she said louder, keeping her ground._

_Chad looked at Taylor and shook his head. "I don't even know why I bother." he decided. Not even bothering to put his shirt back on, he turned his back to her and stormed out of the room._

_"Three!" she yelled as he walked out. Just after she yelled the number, she could hear the front door slamming. Taylor remained where she was, only breathing heavily from what just happened. Yes, she just kicked Chad out of her life. She bit her lower lip, still trying to keep her emotions at bay. Just as Taylor had predicted, she was certainly regretting it now. She shouldn't have yelled at Chad and it wasn't a good way to end the summer and start college._

_But realistically what else was there to do? They couldn't have possibly lasted. Ten minutes ago Chad was begging to let Taylor take him with her so they could be together, but Taylor knew it would never happen. But Chad just couldn't let it go. And now look where it got him. Staying on her front porch leaning up against the door. Part of her was still saying to go after him, to apologize for yelling and beg for his forgiveness. Then Chad would hopefully take her back and they could work something out so they could be together during college._

_But it wasn't that simple; nothing was. Instead of going after him, Taylor just sat back down on her bed. She scrunched her arms in close to her body and her shoulders began shaking. It really was over. Everything in her room would be her last memory of Chad. She didn't even want it to be that would keep hearing the argument play back in her mind. She would keep smelling Chad's scent on her pillow as she slept. Even if the covers would move sa she climbed back into bed to sleep again, they would remain slightly askew from her and Chad. And there was nothing she could do about it._

_Taylor covered her mouth with her hand as tears began slowly sliding down her cheeks. As much as she wanted to stop them, she couldn't. Taylor normally wasn't one to cry but this time she had her reasons. She was crying for her mistake. She was crying for hurting Chad. And she was crying because now she'd probably never get another chance to fix it. Taylor picked up her head to look at the door, wishing that any second Chad would bust through and grab her in his arms and apologize profusely. But he didn't. He was already gone._

Taylor's head spun towards her cell phone as she heard it ringing. She was so into the flashback that she had completely tuned out reality. Even in her mind it felt so real; her eyes were nearly watering up from thinking about it. But that was the past now, and she understood what went wrong. She knew that Chad just didn't want to lose her and in a way, they had only misunderstood each other. It had been a touchy subject for the both of them and they took it the wrong way completely.

Taylor opened her phone after three rings and answered. "Hello?"

"Tay, I've got a huge problem!" Chad gasped on the other line.

Taylor blinked. He sounded really worried. And to get Chad worried, it had to be more than some big sports event. It had to be really important. "Chad what's wrong?" she gasped, starting to get worried herself.

Chad didn't even hesitate to answer. "I lost Dylan."

* * *

Not an excessively long chapter, huh? Thought I'd add in a flashback here so you could in a way see Taylor's point of view of Chad's first flashback. Now it took me a while to do this because I was watching TV, I had to buy a few art supplies, and I had to eat dinner. So there'll probably be no more updates for this or any other stories tonight. And I'm afraid I don't know what the next chapter will be yet either. But I'll figure it out. Can't keep you guys hanging forever. So since I'm talking nonsense and all that this'd be a good time for me to sign off. Once again, I'll update ASAP.


	14. Chapter 13

Sorry for not updating in a few days. I admit it, I'm being kinda lazy but it was also my first week back at school so cut me some slack please? Anyway i should be able to make more than one update today cause if I read the schedule right at work, I'm off the hook tonight so i can stay home. And the main homework I have to do is art and writing, but the art's gonna take a good few hours. Trust me, when you're barely over five feet and working on an eighteen by twenty-four sized paper on a kitchen table, it ain't easy. Getting off topic here.  
So time to get on with the chapter. Once again I am not any kind of owner of HSM.

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"You lost Dylan?" Taylor repeated. To say the least, she sounded angry and annoyed. Chad never even seemed so irresponsible with Dylan, so why was he starting now? "Chad Danforth what did you do?"

"I was with Troy at his theater ok?" Chad sighed. "He and I started arguing and Dylan was with us. One minute I'm arguing with Troy, the next minute I'm looking all over for Dill thinking he had to use the bathroom or something but no. Turned out he was gone."

"Do you realize what could happen to him without adult supervision?" Taylor gasped. "He is just a child, Chad. You cannot be so careless."

"I wasn't being careless on purpose, ok?" Chad argued. "I'm telling you, he was with me when I was talking with Troy, and then as soon as I'm done with Troy, he's gone. And he knows better than to run off on his own."

"That's what you said about your sister, remember?" Taylor muttered.

"Don't you dare bring that up!" Chad warned.

"Sorry. Look if you're going to be so crabby then just go find him yourself." Taylor said coolly. She was about to hang up when she heard Chad. "I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked, putting the phone back to her ear.

"No." Chad repeated. "I can't find Dylan on my own. I need help. If I look for him alone I'll never find him." He waited for an answer, but didn't get one right away. This was bad; if Taylor didn't help him then he wouldn't know who else to turn to. He didn't know who else would be willing to help him, especially when they didn't know the whole story. He didn't know who else to turn to; Taylor was the only one he could trust with this. "Taylor?" he asked, hoping she was still there.

Taylor sighed. She was still there, but she was hesitant to help. She knew Dylan was Chad's responsibility, but he sounded so desperate. And it would be easier to find him if two people searched. She started to give her answer, but stopped when she heard her phone beep. She looked at the screen, showing that there was another call coming in. "Hold on Chad, I have another call." she told him. Without giving him another warning, she put him on hold and tried to see who was on the other line. "Hello?"

"Bring on the man!" the voice yelled from the other end.

Taylor moaned. "Sharpay why are you calling me now and what are you talking about?"

"I officially have no more classes today and no meetings after school." Sharpay replied. "And with Gabriella working a full day today, that puts me in charge of meeting your boyfriend."

"Sharpay, now's not really a good time." Taylor replied.

"And why not?" she demanded.

Ok, what now? Taylor couldn't tell Sharpay what was really going on. There would be suspicions, not to mention she'd be down Chad's back wanting to know more about the kid and what he and Taylor were hiding. "I have plans." Taylor finally replied.

"Are they with Brian?" Sharpay asked.

"Not exactly. But I can't get out of them, they're really important." Taylor said. "But I promise, I'll call Brian when I get the chance and then we'll figure out when you can meet him."

"When you get the chance isn't soon enough." Sharpay insisted. "I demand that you call him right now and we meet up somewhere within the hour!"

"Sharpay please..." Taylor started. Before she could go any further, her phone beeped again. "Hang on, I've got another call. Give me five minutes." She quickly put Sharpay on hold along with Chad and answered the other line. At least now she couldn't get any more calls. "Hello?"

"Hey Taylor. How's it going?" Brian smiled from the other line.

Good, someone who didn't have to jump down her throat or had bad news. "I just put two people on hold and they're both pouncing on me for one reason or another." she admitted.

"How about I make it better?" Brian suggested with a smile.

"I'd love that Brian." Taylor smiled. Wait a minute, her other calls. Chad needed help and Sharpay wasn't going to let her off the hook. "Wait, I can't." she sighed. "I need to help someone with something and one of my friends is trying to force me out so she can meet you and 'approve'."

"I really think you should be there for that. I want to be able to prove myself to your friends." Brian replied.

"That's really sweet. But I can't make it. There's something that's more important." Taylor said. Did she really just say that? Maybe she just did. she just indirectly confessed that Chad was more important than her boyfriend. It caught Taylor off guard just realizing it. She was silent for a minute, just thinking about it. And then she smiled.

"So what about your friend's approval? Do you want to figure out when we can do that?" Brian wondered.

"I have her on the other line right now. How about I patch you through to her and you two can discuss it?" Taylor suggested. "I promise when I'm finished with today I'll give you a call."

"Sounds great." Brian nodded.

Taylor raised an eyebrow when she thought she heard a much younger voice in the background. "Who was that?" she wondered.

"Don't worry about it." Brian replied. "Now about getting through..."

"Right, I'm on it." Taylor nodded. She went back to Sharpay's call. "Sharpay? I'm going to put you through to Brian ok? I'll let you two work it out."

"Taylor, what are you doing? I'm not done with you yet..." Sharpay started. But it was too late; Taylor already got her connected to Brian's phone and she ended the call.

Taylor sighed with relief as she went back to Chad. "I'm sorry Chad." she apologized. "Sharpay was calling and she was trying to get me to introduce her to Brian, and then Brian called..."

"You don't need to explain it to me Taylor. I get it." Chad replied. "You go worry about Brian. I can tell that he's more important than my problems. I'll just go look for Dylan myself. You go do whatever you do with him and I'll go on my own. Sorry for annoying you."

"No Chad, that's not..." Taylor started. She was interrupted by the click of him hanging up. Taylor sighed and reluctantly hung up. Now Chad was getting the impression that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, that she didn't even care. And that was completely wrong. "I have to catch up to him." Taylor said to herself. She quickly made her way out of the house and started walking. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going, but she knew she had to find Dylan. Or at least Chad so she could explain to him what happened.

_How could he even think that? Of course he's important to me. That's not going to change._ Taylor thought. She knew it was true, and she had to let Chad know that. Of course, then how would that look? She already handed him the 'I can't like anyone else or be anything with anyone else other than friends because I'm off the market' thing. But he had to know that either way, he still meant something to her. Chad had to know that much. Besides, Taylor could remember when they were younger and Chad lost his sister. They were running all over town looking for her. She had snuck out of the house and Chad always thought she deliberately ran away to get him in trouble.

_"Chad how on Earth did you lose your sister? She's seven!" Taylor gasped as she and Chad ran down the block searching for Sharon._

_"I'm telling you, the kid is evil. She wants me to see the end of my life before we graduate high school." Chad replied._

_"That's this year Chad." Taylor reminded him._

_"Exactly!" he exclaimed. He stopped at the corner to briefly catch his breath and turned to Taylor. "You have no idea what this means to me that you're coming to help me with this Tay. I owe you one big time."_

_"I had nothing better to do except extra credit in Advanced Calculus." Taylor smiled. "Besides I couldn't leave you in your time of need. If Sharon really is doing this to kill you then I would have to see you before she does."_

_"You rock Tay." Chad smiled. He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek._

_Taylor giggled. "Ok hot lips, enough PDA. We've got a seven year old to find in two hours."_

_"Right." Chad nodded. He took her hand and they ran across the street, looking all over for Sharon. "I don't even know what I would do without you Tay. You've always got my back."_

_"Don't worry about it." Taylor replied. "So let's think like a little kid. Where would your sister run off to?"_

_"Somewhere with weapons." Chad decided._

_Taylor raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm going with the park." she said as he headed in that direction with Chad behind her._

_Chad only smiled as he followed Taylor. Suddenly he didn't even care if he'd be in trouble with his parents. His dream girl was right there by his side helping him and he wouldn't want it any other way. He was just happy to be with her somehow and that she was supporting him and keeping him grounded. He didn't know what he'd do without her. And likewise, Taylor was happy to know that she gave Chad her word that he could count on her. He gave her a reason to get out of her house more often and he always made her feel better when she was down. So now when Chad needed her help she'd be there for him._

_And even as all of those thoughts ran through their heads they kept searching. And they ended up finding Chad's sister and forcibly dragging her back to house just five minutes before his parents got home. And until Taylor's parents called her worrying where she'd been, she spent the rest of the night with Chad._

So now Taylor ended up at the park, thinking that maybe if she and Chad had found Sharon there then Dylan would be there, too. And she was hoping that Chad remembered the memory too; because then maybe he would come here searching for Dylan, too. And it wasn't like it was that far from the community theater, either. Maybe just a couple of miles tops. It was possible that Dylan found his way here somehow.

Her head shot from side to side, searching the the nine-year-old. "Dylan!" she called, hoping he would hear her. "Dylan, where are you?" She moved some hair out of her face, not having much luck. "Dylan, come on!" she tried again. Still no response. But he had to be here somewhere, he just had to be. Taylor wanted to make sure he was ok, to find out why he ran away from Chad. She had to tell him that Chad was worried sick and that it was dangerous to roam around on his own. But something wasn't right with all of this. It just wasn't. Something felt out of place. Trying to shake it off, she called once more. "Where are you?"

"Taylor?"

Taylor stopped dead in her tracks. That was not Dylan's voice. "Who was that?" she asked, trying to hide her nerves. Taylor turned her body in a few different directions to try and find out who the voice was coming from, or at least where. And then, slowly stepped a few feet away from her she could see Brian. He was there. He stopped walking and faced her with a questioning look. Taylor paused and blinked doubtfully, but she was even more surprised about what she saw next. There he was, right by Brian's side holding his hand.

Dylan.

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Well this chapter turned out a little differently than I expected, but that happens a few different times when we write, right? This took almost all day to write cause I kept getting distracted. Blame it on TV. Degrassi, True Jackson VP, and the Proud Family. I don't own any of those either, by the way. This chapter was kinda short, but that has to happen sometimes, too huh? So I hope this chapter leaves you in suspense with a lot of questions, so you know there's gonna be some kind of drama up ahead. I don't know if I'll update this again tonight, but I'll see what else I do update. So feel free to review if you wish, and I don't think there's much else for me to say. I think. o_0


	15. Chapter 14

So this is the next chapter which I was finally able to put up. It was during my three hour break today, which was pretty boring by the way. For about an hour there was a comedy involving old ladies (no offense to anyone elder people out there, I just really didn't follow the show) and then someone finally started flipping channels and went to channel fourteen so we could find something interesting cause really, even one of the talk shows we watch in the lounge everyday was more interesting. So we finally landed on VH1 I think. Something like that. It was a very slow morning. And then I played like five games of solitare and got my butt kicked. That was not fun. So now i am home posting up this chapter. So before we get to the chapter let's thank everyone for their reviews! ^^ So thank you to Digigirl02, ChaylorTwilightQueen10, and Always-Here-Imani.

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Taylor tried to refrain from dropping her jaw as she looked at the sight before her. She couldn't believe it but the sight was right there before her. Dylan was right there standing beside Brian. And for some odd reason there was a striking resemblance between the boys. The way they were standing, the look in their eyes…it was all there. But instead of actually noticing it and revealing the similarities, something else came out of her mouth.

"Dylan!" she gasped.

"Taylor!" Dylan replied. Feeling more comfortable around her, the boy ran over and she scooped him up in her arms.

"What are you doing here?" Taylor asked. "Your father's looking everywhere for you."

Dylan shook his head rapidly. "I don't wanna go." He moaned. "He was mean to me. He said he wasn't my dad."

Taylor blinked. Why would Chad say that to Dylan? On the one hand it was the truth and the only similarity between the boys was their skin tone. But on the other side of the coin why tell it to Dylan when he was only nine? Surely it would have been a better idea to wait longer, wouldn't it? Taylor just couldn't comprehend.

"Are you ok, sweetie?" she asked calmly.

"I think so." Dylan nodded. "Cause then the nice man founded me."

Brian raised an eyebrow and stepped over to the two of them. "You know this little guy?" he asked Taylor curiously.

Taylor looked t Brian and nodded. "Yeah. He's my friend's son."

"He's not my dad!" Dylan insisted again, shaking his head.

"Adoptive father." Taylor whispered. "Do you have any idea what happened?"

"I found him wandering around and I wanted to help him. I didn't know what was going on with him." Brian explained. "He let me help him and he was with me when I called you."

"So you were also calling to ask for some assistance?" Taylor assumed.

"Who, me? Nah." He shook his head. "I'm great with kids. I made sure to have a lot of practice."

"Really?" Taylor inquired. "How come?"

"Well…" Brian rubbed the back of his head. "It's a long story, I'd rather not go into details."

Taylor nodded, understanding. He probably had a younger brother or something. But she quickly snapped out of her thoughts and remembered that Chad had to know where Dylan was. "I have to call my friend. He's probably worried sick." She started to put Dylan down so she could take out her cell phone.

"No!" Dylan gasped, grabbing onto her shirt. He didn't want to get put down.

"Dylan it's just for a minute." Taylor promised. "I need to take out my phone and call your dad."

"I don't have a dad." He shook his head again. "Don't put down!"

"Dylan, please cooperate with me." Taylor insisted as calmly as she could. "It'll only be for two minutes tops. He has to know where you are."

"No!" Dylan yelled, shaking his head again. He struggled to stay held as Taylor tried to put him down.

"Here, let me try." Brian offered. "I'll hold him while you call." He tried to remove Dylan from Taylor, but Dylan was trying not to budge. Brian tried to be as gentle as he could but Dylan was making it too difficult. It was almost getting to the point where he would have to pull down the kid hard.

"What's going on?" a voice asked as he walked over.

Taylor and Brian turned to see they were being watched. Brian quickly let go of Dylan and took a few steps back.

"Tay, you found him!" the voice gasped, revealed to be Chad as he ran over. "Is he ok?" He tried to hold out his hands and take Dylan, but the little boy refused and clutched to Taylor only harder.

"Yeah…my boyfriend found him." Taylor admitted. "I was just about to call you."

Chad tried to keep his face from falling. "Oh. I see…"

"So you must be Taylor's friend then." Brian said as he stepped over. "It's nice to meet you man, how's it going?" He held out his hand for Chad to shake.

Chad nodded and shook his hand. "Goin good, thanks." He replied. "Thanks for finding Dylan. I was looking all over for him."

"Hey no problem." Brian shook his head. "The little guy seemed kind of down. I'm Brian, by the way. Co-worker of Taylor's."

"I'm Chad." He replied. "Old friend of Taylor's from high school." Yeah, like he was really going to tell Taylor's current boyfriend that he was her ex.

"Hey Chad, can I talk to you for a minute?" Taylor inquired.

"Yeah, sure." Chad nodded.

Taylor turned to Brian. "I'll be right back ok?" She gently handed Dylan to Brian, which caught the boy off guard. "Don't let him out of your sight please?"

"I'll keep my eyes on him." Brian promised as he took Dylan. "He's not going anywhere."

"Thanks." Taylor smiled. She pecked him on the cheek and took Chad over to the side, so they were out of earshot from Dylan.

"So that's your new guy huh?" Chad asked.

"Chad don't play the jealousy card now." Taylor sighed. "I want to know what happened with you and Dylan."

"I was arguing with Troy and when I'm ready to leave with Dylan he was gone." Chad repeated the same way he did earlier. "I don't know, maybe he heard me say that I wasn't his real father, that he wasn't mine."

"Chad Danforth how could you say that in front of Dylan?" Taylor gasped as she hit his arm. "Do you know how upset he is? He thinks you don't love him."

"Of course I love him. Even if we're not related he's still my son." Chad replied. "How do you think that I feel otherwise?"

"He insists that you're not his father even though you act exactly like one." Taylor answered. She glanced over at Brian and Dylan to make sure they were doing ok. Chad followed her gaze, feeling less than comfortable. Brian seemed to be doing a little better with Dylan, not to mention he seemed to make Taylor happier. What did that guy have that Chad didn't? No, he wasn't getting jealous. He wasn't playing any jealousy cards. He was just feeling uncomfortable was all. So what was next? Brian would take Taylor and Dylan and move to San Francisco?

"Chad," Taylor said as she broke the silence, "don't you think there's some kind of resemblance between Dylan and Brian?"

"What do you mean?" Chad asked.

"Just look at them. There's some kind of similarity between them. You'd swear they were related somehow." Taylor said. She turned back to Chad with a cocked eyebrow. "You said Dylan never knew his father right?"

"Yeah, or his mother as far as I know." Chad nodded. His eyes widened and he took a step back. "Wait a minute, you are not insinuating that Brian is Dill's…?"

"I don't know. But I think we should see if Brian knows something. And maybe it'll be good if he is. Dylan can know his real father." Taylor suggested.

Chad shook his head rapidly. "You don't get it Taylor. I'm his father, no one else. It doesn't matter if I adopted him or not, to me he's my son and not someone else's. He needs me, not some guy who wasn't in his life for nine years."

"Chad, please." Taylor said softly. "Let's at least find out?"

Chad sighed and reluctantly gave in. Maybe Dylan really would need to know his real father. But Chad didn't want the little guy hurt if the dad never wanted him. Taylor on the other hand, thought it was necessary. She could tell how much Chad cared about Dylan and she had never seen that side to him before, but this had to be done. He would have had to realize sooner or later that there might be a blood-related family member around, right? The two of them slowly walked back over to Brian, who was still holding Dill.

Brian looked at his girlfriend with concern. "Is everything ok?" he asked them.

"Brian can I ask you a personal question?" Taylor asked softly.

"Of course, yeah." He nodded. "Anything."

Taylor sighed. She had to put this out there. She had to ask it. Maybe it was true, maybe it wasn't. But what if Brian was lying? What if led to more disappointment for Dylan and having him think no one did care about him when he put trust in all of those people? Taylor opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Chad saw her struggle and came right out with it.

"Did you ever have a kid?" he asked.

Taylor shot a look at Chad. It wasn't supposed to be_ that _straight-forward. She turned back to Brian, who had a hard-to-read look on his face.

Brian slowly looked down, not wanting to make eye contact with either. He held a confused Dylan in his arms and didn't make any sudden reactions. "One." He admitted quietly. "One kid. I while back I had a girlfriend and we took it a little far. She ended up falling pregnant and died in labor. I never knew what happened to the boy. We never even had time to think of names."

"So you were going to have a son?" Taylor asked softly.

"I thought he died with her so I just…left." Brian admitted.

"Are you considering that Dylan might be your son?" Taylor asked.

"What?" Brian blinked, looking at her.

"Take a long look at him. We can go to the hospital and do a paternity test to see if it's true, but just look at him first. Do you see anything familiar about him?" Taylor asked.

Brian sighed and looked at Dylan long and hard. "From the second I saw him." He confessed. "His mother's skin, my hair before I dyed it, eyes like mine, her face, her smile…"

Taylor and Chad exchanged glances. So there was a resemblance!

"We have to do that test." Taylor said.

Brian looked at Chad for confirmation. Even if Brian was the father, Chad was still legally Dylan's father. And Chad didn't know if he could handle finding something like that out, either. But maybe it did have to be done. Maybe it would be better for Dylan to know his real father instead of some fake one.

"Yeah. We do." Chad nodded quietly.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Chad continued tapping his hand against his knee. He was doing it in a rapid nervous manner, trying to bite his tongue to keep himself from saying anything. Chad kept thinking about what would happen either way. If Brian was Dylan's father would he take him away? If he wasn't would Dylan feel even worse? All the thoughts ran through Chad's head like crazy and to say the least, he was acting like a nervous wreck.

Brian glanced at Taylor. "Is he ok?" he whispered, referring to Chad. Dylan remained in Brian's lap, somewhat oblivious to their surroundings.

Taylor looked at Chad and she became concerned. "Just make sure Dylan's doing ok?" she whispered. "I'll keep Chad calm." After Brian nodded, Taylor turned to Chad and put her hand over his to stop him from tapping it. "It's going to be ok Chad. Calm down." She said softly.

"Sorry. I guess I'm just…" Chad's voice trailed off.

"It's understandable. But please stop worrying. Let it come as it comes." Taylor replied. She rubbed his hand to try and keep him calm. Feeling Brian's eyes on her, she briefly looked at him. She was hoping he understood she was just trying to keep Chad relaxed and she was worried about him. Brian seemed to get the message, but that didn't stop him from looking slightly uncomfortable. He tried shaking it off and going back to watching Dylan. Taylor sighed with relief to herself and looked back at Chad. She continued caressing his hand with hers and that seemed to calm him down a bit, but she could see the worry remaining in his eyes. She let him rest his head on her shoulder. Taylor tried to ignore the chill it sent through her, how warm it felt on the outside. She couldn't even imagine how Chad felt doing that. But she couldn't let Brian think that all of this meant something. He had to know this was a strict friendship thing. Chad on the other hand, felt more relaxed just being with Taylor. He was trying to keep cool and act like everything would be ok in the long run. He couldn't ruin Taylor's relationship with her new…boyfriend…even if his own life would go down the drain. Chad let out a silent sigh and tried to only focus on the warmness of Taylor's hand on his and a few strands of hair that left her face and brushed up against his.

"We have the results." A doctor's voice broke the silence as he walked in with a clipboard. The three adults picked their heads up right away and looked at him anxiously. "Congratulations, it's a boy." The doctor chuckled.

"We already knew that." Chad said. "But who's boy is it?"

"Look, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to get the facts straight. I'm going to say the result of the test. Then I'm going to walk out and give you all five minutes in here to work out any differences. And I say five minutes because that's when the next appointment is and I don't want to keep any patients waiting." The doctor explained. He pointed at Chad, "So you're the one who adopted this young Dylan and are legally his father, but not biologically."

"Right." Chad nodded softly.

The doctor then pointed at Brian. "And you're the one who was being tested to find out if Dylan was yours, correct? Due to the resemblance you recall between him, you, and the mother?"

Brian nodded quietly. "Yes sir."

He pointed at Taylor. "And you are…?"

"A friend and girlfriend. "Taylor answered. "I'm here for moral support for both sides."

"Good enough." The doctor shrugged, not seeming worried about that. He slowly pulled the results out of the folder he held. He looked directly at Brian. "Brian, you were tested to see if this young boy was your son." He saw Brian nod, and then the doctor slowly looked down at the paper for dramatic effect. For an added dramatic effect, the doctor picked his head up against just as slowly. "Brian, when it comes to Dylan Danforth…" Great, now he was acting like Maury from that talk show or something. "…you _are_ the birth father."

Brian blinked numerous times in one second. "I…I…I can't believe it…" he stammered. He slowly looked down at Dylan in his arms. "I thought I lost my son with my girlfriend. But I didn't…. I'm holding him right now."

Dylan looked up at Brian slightly confused. He cocked his head. "What are you talkin bout?" he asked quietly yet curiously.

Taylor's face fell. Dylan had no idea what was going on. He must have been so perplexed right now. What would happen now that it was revealed who Dylan's actual father was? Would Dylan have to switch homes? Would he have to get used to a new family? Taylor knew Brian was in shock. He thought he'd lost Dylan and his girlfriend all those years ago; he could have never known. And now he was sitting face-to-face with the son he never knew he had. All because of Chad's big mouth. And Chad! Oh man, how was he feeling about this? Taylor looked at him and she could see the sadness in his eyes. He seemed so disappointed, and she could only imagine how much this was hurting him right now.

"Chad…" she started.

Chad just shook his head. He got up from the chair quickly and ran out.

Taylor's face now fell and she placed her hands in her lap. She slowly looked at Brian and Dylan. She was silent for a minute as she watched the two; they mirrored each others' looks and were both lost in the moment. She had to leave them alone and let them really get acquainted.

"I'm going after Chad." She announced. "I'll talk to you later." All she saw was Brian reply with a nod before Taylor ran out. She had to try and catch up with Chad and make sure he was even the slightest bit ok. "Chad?" she called as soon as she ran out. "Chad?" She looked around for a minute before just running. "Chad are you here?" she called again. Taylor paused and stopped running; she ran a hand through her hair and looked for him. She sighed with relief when she saw him leaning forward, his head again a tree. "Chad." She sighed as she went over. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him concerned. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"How can I be alright?" Chad asked, refusing to turn around and look at her. "The boy that I thought needed me more than anything else found his dad. His real one, not some fake one. And he just so happened to find him after I said I wasn't his real one."

"You were never a fake one, Chad." Taylor said softly. "Even if you aren't blood-related you still treated Dylan like he was really your son."

"You don't understand." Chad shook his head. "I thought that Dylan was my one reason for going on, why I'm still around. But why would I be sticking around just to go through this and find out that no one needs me?"

"You know that's not true." She shook her head. "Even if your sister won't admit it, she needs you. You're her guardian Chad. And what about your friends? They need you too. Jason needs you to keep visiting him once in a while to show that you remember him and even if you're not with each other physically you're still there for each other. And Zeke, he'll need you at his and Sharpay's wedding soon. And Troy, what about him and Gabriella? He's going to…"

"Just stop it!" Chad yelled. "None of them need me! They're just there. Heck, _I'm_ just there. Troy and I had a fight today. Jason isn't around anymore. Zeke and I have barely spoke since graduation, I don't even think we're friends anymore. And my sister, that's all she is. She's out of my house as soon as she starts college and if she were eighteen already she'd be outta there in a heartbeat."

"Chad…" Taylor started.

"No, you don't get it!" Chad insisted, spinning around to her. "I'm not the same guy I was when we were younger. I changed and obviously it was for the worst. Half the time I don't even know if I know how to have fun. I don't make as many jokes as I used to. I'm stuck owning some bowling alley instead of playing basketball like I always wanted to. I couldn't even play basketball after that day! I lost all the game I had for it, it wasn't the same. I kept dropping the ball, I kept screwing up, and I stank!"

"Stunk." Taylor corrected him on impulse.

"Whatever!" Chad yelled. "Don't you get it? If I never got hit that day none of this would have ever happened! I wouldn't be here today. I would be living out the dream and everything would be going perfectly. I wouldn't be worrying about all these minor things and I wouldn't be feeling like something's wrong with me every stinkin day!"

Taylor couldn't take this anymore. Chad was completely downgrading himself, something the old Chad would never do. He had completely lost it. She knows he just practically lost the boy he called his son but that was no reason to bring down the rest of his life. From where she was standing it had been going pretty well. But she had to know some sense into him. Her eyes now feeling watery, she shut them and slapped Chad across the face.

"You're an even bigger lunkhead than I thought!" she yelled. "What happened to the old Chad Danforth? The guy that I actually fell in love with? He would never be talking the way he is right now. He would always find something to bring anyone in his life up and he would always find something to joke about. You're not doing that right now, Chad and you can't take it out on what just happened. Don't you ever think about what bad would have happened if you never got hit? You would have never found Dylan or given him the chance to even look at his father. You would have never taken your sister in because you'd be too busy traveling playing basketball. You'd be isolating yourself even more and making new friends and for all we know, sleeping with every hot model out there just to give yourself pleasure. And you know what else Chad? Do you know what else would have happened if you didn't get hit? I wouldn't be here! We wouldn't be talking at all. And you'd be living your life with someone else and we never would have broken up the way we did! What do you think about that, Chad!"

Here Taylor was now practically pouring her heart out to her. She was naming all of the things that he never would have realized, all of the things that he overlooked all this time. He never even realized she felt that way. But Taylor was right. She wouldn't be here right now. He never would have even known Dylan; the kid would be on his own. He'd be living out his dream not caring about anyone else. Even if what Taylor said kind of hurt him on the inside Chad heard exactly what he needed to. What he wanted to.

Then, on impulse, he wrapped his arms tight around Taylor and hugged her. Taylor didn't say anything in response. She only accepted his embrace and hugged him just as tight. Her body so close to Chad's, she could feel his heartbeat against hers. It was so rapid and she could literally feel his body shaking. They didn't even need to say anything; the two just stood there holding onto each other as though they'd never let go. Chad needed Taylor. Not just right then and there. He really needed her. She was the one who always kept him grounded, who had him think things through. If she weren't here, he'd be exactly where she said he would be. And at that moment Taylor forgot all about having a boyfriend. Nothing else even mattered except for Chad. She wanted to show him that he wasn't alone and she desperately wanted to make him feel better. To see the old Chad again, even for a second.

After breathing heavily for a few minutes, Chad remained engulfed with Taylor and broke the silence. "So I lost my best friend and I lost Dylan. Is there anything else I can lose?" he asked quietly.

"Not a chance." Taylor shook her head softly. "You can't lose anything else if you have everything else."

"But I have nothing now." Chad whispered with depression evident in his voice.

"That's not true." Taylor replied, her whisper matching his. She rested her head on his shoulder and grasped onto the back of his shirt. She rubbed her head against his neck, trying to show him. She had to show him that he was wrong and to keep him grounded where he was. "You have me."

* * *

Yup, that was the chapter. What'd you think? So I finally decided to go with the suggestion I got for the story and throw it into this chapter. Can you say hello to more drama? C= Oh wait, drama's supposed to be bad isn't it? My bad. xD Anyway, thanks ChaylorTwilightQueen10 for suggesting the idea. Let's hope it was a hit. ^^ So, I'll see when the next time is that I update and hopefully I'll be able to add the next chapter soon. Keep on reading! =3


	16. Chapter 15

Ok, so now would be a pretty good time to update, right? How was the suspense in the last chapter? We'll see where this chapter takes us next. And I'm happy to say that I looked over this entire story earlier and, as far as I could tell, I fixed every typo I could find. So everything is all good now (I hope). XD So, how is everybody? I don't wanna be doing all the talking up here. I know some of you out there probably got finished with midterms. That stuff was never fun, except for the days where you didn't have to go to school for any tests. But whatchya gonna do right? I got my own theory about teachers and what they do to us in the school but if there are any teachers up here I really don't wanna sound disrespectful. Heck, go ahead and blame the imagination if you want to. It's its' fault anyway.  
Anyway I will shut up now so we can get on reading, since you probably wanna see what happens next (for those of you still interested). Once again, me no own HSM.

* * *

"Troy you should know better than to raise your voice when there's a little kid around." Gabriella sighed heavily later that night. "Did you really leave Chad to search for Dylan alone?"

Troy shrugged as he sat on the couch in the living room. "That's Chad's problem, not mine." he replied. "It was Chad's choice to keep me outta the loop. I never knew about any other girls in his life and he knew about the one in mine."

"We've known each other since high school." Gabriella said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Of course Chad would know about you and me. But I'm sure he has his reasons. We have to look at both sides of the coin here." She began pacing back and forth in front of Troy.

"And how can he do that when he only shows one side of him? I don't even know the guy anymore!" Troy insisted. "He's not the brother I grew up with."

"Maybe you both just need some space right now." she suggested. "Obviously you're not just annoyed with today but with Chad overall. That's understandable. If Taylor had a secret life and a child I never knew about I'd be annoyed too, but we'd find a way to stop fighting."

"How would you know any of that stuff? She lives in some fancy place like England." Troy replied.

"That's not the point." she shook her head. "But you and Chad can't stay mad at each other forever. If that boy we saw really is Chad's then that makes you an uncle, Troy. There's a chance that Chad didn't want you to know because he thought you wouldn't accept Dylan. And if that is the case then any anger you have should be thrown out there when Dylan isn't around like he was today."

"Gabs why do you even have to be like this?" Troy questioned, standing up. "Why do you insist on taking Chad's side?"

"I'm just looking over theories and facts, Troy. I'm not jumping to the worst possible conclusions like you, I'm trying to see if there's a more reasonable conclusion to come to that doesn't involve one of you biting off the others' head." Gabriella answered, trying to keep herself from raising her voice. And really, Gabriella never rose her voice.

"You take his side all the time!" Troy complained.

"You know that's not true." Gabriella said. "Most of the time I've taken your side, Troy. I only take another person's side when I know they can be given the benefit of the doubt. And I think Chad deserves it."

"Why would a b**** like him deserve that?" Troy asked.

"Troy!" Gabriella gasped. "You know I don't like that kind of language."

"Well that doesn't change facts Gabriella. Chad is one and that's all there is to it."

"You have never called your best friend something like that unless you made it clear you were joking."

"Well guess what, I'm not joking now. Things change Gabriella. Chad changed."

"Well from where I'm standing it seems like someone else changed."

"Who?"

Gabriella's eyes widened. "You! You're going all off yelling at him like everything bad happened was his fault. He keeps one secret from you, Troy. One secret, and you hold everything against him because of it!"

"He deserves every bit of it." Troy replied.

"Then why not direct all that anger on me, Troy?" Gabriella questioned. "What if I told you I was keeping a secret from you? Then how would you react?"

"I don't know!" Troy replied, exasperated. "What secret would you possibly be keeping from me, Gabriella? We tell each other everything."

"You want to know what secret I'm keeping from you, Troy? You really want to know?" she nearly yelled.

"Yes Gabriella. For Heaven's sake tell me already!" he insisted.

Gabriella opened her mouth to yell her secret, but she just couldn't allow herself to do it. She couldn't spill it to Troy. It wasn't even like it was kept for that long, but she was planning on keeping it longer than this. And she certainly didn't want to yell it out to Troy in the angriest manner; it wasn't the way it was meant to be dealt with. And how would it make Troy feel? As angry as Gabriella felt over the whole situation right now, she just couldn't bare to let herself go through with this. She couldn't let those words escape her.

"Well?" Troy asked impatiently. He wanted to get this done and over with. Troy wasn't one to have much of a temper; everyone knew that. But the few times that it did show, it was revealed to be pretty hot-tempered. It made Troy become Troy at his worst instead of the Troy everyone knew and loved. Gabriella would look at him and not recognize him. And granted, it wasn't really an anger management problem, but Troy was somewhat oblivious to it. He wasn't aware that doing some form of yelling and revealing his hidden temper would make someone afraid of him oe hate him. Maybe he was stressed or maybe he was just plane angry. Right now he was more angry than anything. Troy had found out not even a week ago about practically a secret life his best friend had been leading for who knows how many years now, and at this moment he was about to discover a secret that Gabriella - his Gabriella, his world, his girlfriend, his everything - was keeping from him - her boyfriend, her life, her Troy.

There was a tense silence between the couple and Gabriella still couldn't find the words to express what she was feeling right now, let alone her secret. She tried to find her voice but it was completely lost. That's when she realized it had to stay secret; she couldn't tell him.

"I just can't say Troy." she whispered, afraid of her voice cracking, which it was already on the verge of. "I'm sorry." She covered her mouth and ran upstairs to her room, closing the door behind her and locking it.

"Gabriella?" Troy asked, softening up. "Gabriella?" He walked over to the stairs and stopped at the foot of them. He didn't realize how angry he sounded just then, didn't realize that he might have actually hurt Gabriella. That never happened before. Every time the two reached a disagreement they would never fight; it would always be discussed calmly and rationally. Not this time. Now Gabriella didn't even want to look at him. Troy felt like his relationship was about to go down the tubes, or at least that it was hitting Rocky Mountain or whatever it was called. But either way it was not going to good.

"Gabs?" he asked once more, much softer this time. He looked up to where her bedroom door was but she still remained silent. Troy couldn't even hear the cries coming from her room, symbolizing the depression that Gabriella was feeling at that moment. And with no answer, Troy's face fell. He turned a minor degree angle away from the stairs, though he kept his head facing it to wait a minute longer. Still nothing. Letting out a sight, Troy slowly and reluctantly walked over to the door. He let himself outside and leaned up against the door after closing it behind him. It felt as though any hopes he had with Gabriella were slowly vanishing. If they fought over keeping petty secrets from each other what else could they fight about? What kind of secrets would they even hide, no matter how petty? And this would never have happened before.

Troy slowly picked his head up, feeling a slight anger rise up in him. No, he wasn't going to hit anything. He wasn't going to kick anything. He wasn't going to scream or throw a fit. He wouldn't even think of hurting someone over it. But he was angry. And now he knew who to blame it on.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Chad sighed and turned off the TV in his living room. He had been in there for a good couple of hours now after the ordeal at the hospital. He was still devastated that Dylan was with Brian instead of him and if it weren't for Taylor staying to comfort him he'd be on his own. Chad never even noticed how empty the home felt without the child in there. It felt as though there were almost no life to it. Chad sighed more quietly this time and placed the remote on the coffee table in front of him. He leaned back on the couch and blew some bangs out of his face.

"You sound stressed." Taylor stated as she walked over with a bowl and spoon on a tray. "You should really eat something. I made some tuna salad." she placed it on the table in front of Chad and remained where she was before deciding whether or not to sit beside him or return to the kitchen and get a drink or make something else.

Chad stared blankly at the food as he sat up straight and raised an eyebrow. "Where did you even find the stuff to make this?"

"I have my ways." she shrugged, winking playfully.

Chad chuckled slightly. "You really don't have to stay and hang around here, Tay. You could've gone with Brian and Dill."

Taylor then sat down next to Chad and gently scooted the tray closer to him. "I think Brian and Dylan need some time alone to get to know each other. They went through a lot today and they need the time alone."

"So then why come here and watch me wallow in my pity instead of going back to Gabriella's house?" Chad inquired.

"You looked like you needed the company." she answered honestly. "And I didn't want you thinking I was going to desert you when you needed help."

"Well I guess I do really appreciate that Tay. Thanks." Chad said.

"You're welcome." she replied with a small smile. "Now come on, you really should start eating."

"What about you? Aren't you hungry?" Chad asked. "You can help yourself to anything."

Taylor shook her head. "I'm fine, really. You need it more than I do."

"Yeah, I need some deranged fish salad in my system." Chad joked. He picked up the spoon and swerved it through the bowl, then tried to force it into Taylor's mouth. "Let's see you try some then. C'mon, open up wide and eat the fish food."

Taylor moved her head away every time the spoon got closer and she giggled. "Ok, now _that's_ the Chad I remember." she smiled, using her hand the move the silverware away from her.

Chad chuckled and shrugged. "Guess all I needed was to wind down for once and watch some mindless TV. I don't even remember the last time I sat around doing that for no reason."

"Hey, you can do that any time you want and you know it." Taylor told him. "You've probably been so stressed with everything you couldn't find a balance."

"Well what about you, Prof? you seemed to find the perfect balance in your life." Chad noted.

"Believe me, it's not all it's cracked up to be." she shook her head. "I don't have as much balance as you think. I don't live less than ten miles away anymore, Chad. I have no time for any friends, and none of you live even close to where I do now. Most of the time I have to either do work or lay around doing nothing."

"Well you're not doing nothing now are you?" Chad grinned.

Taylor smiled slightly and shrugged. "Guess I'm not."

"Think you can give my head a message then?" he asked. "I think I got a bunch of knots up there that isn't just in my hair I need you to work your magic."

As Chad playfully wiggled his fingers, Taylor pushed them away from her. "Chad, taken remember? It's a casual friendship between us, we have to remember that." She added to herself, _No matter how much we don't want to._

"Friends can still message each others' heads can't they?" Chad asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Taylor looked at him and smiled. "I don't see why not." She scooted over to the side a bit to give Chad more room. "Here. Lay down and put your head on my lap. _Facing me_."

"Oh, do I have to?" Chad moaned jokingly. He chuckled and laid down as he was directed. He looked up at Taylor and could feel one hand go through his hair and gently rub his head as he other hand rested on his chest. Making himself naturally comfortable, Chad placed both of his hands on his chest like he would if they were behind his head; only in this case, his hands covered Taylor's. Taylor seemed a bit hesitant at first, but then agreed to work with it and continued messaging Chad's head. She couldn't even remember the last time her hands went through the crazy curls of his. It really felt like home to her.

"How's this?" she asked softly.

"A little to the left." Chad said as he closed his eyes.

Taylor obliged and continued with the message, moving her hand to the left. She could see Chad smile and hear him sigh contently. "Perfect." Chad smiled. "I feel better already."

"What are friends for, right?" Taylor asked with a smile. _Yeah, because friends are all we'll ever be at this point now._ she thought. She didn't even want it to be that way. But really, what choice was there? She couldn't cheat on her boyfriend and she knew Brian wouldn't think to do that to her. Taylor had to be fair and just. But while she was being loyal to her boy, where did that leave Chad? In the friendship square, that's where. She didn't even know Chad's opinion on the situation and they couldn't discuss it. By now she could already even hear Chad snoring. Taylor must have been more comforting than she realized. She couldn't help but let a smile spread across her face. There were numerous thoughts roaming through her head right now, all leading up to one thing. It was wrong, but she couldn't help herself. She started leaning forward just a little....

_Just take a look through my eyes_

_There's a better place somewhere out there_

_Oh just take a look through my eye-_

Dang it! The ring tone from Taylor's cell phone threw her completely off. She sat up straight right away and looked at the caller ID, seeing it was Gabriella. Taylor cocked an eyebrow and slowly answered, stopping the ringing. "Hello?"

"Hey Taylor..." she could hear Gabriella sniff from the other end.

"Gabriella, what's wrong?" Taylor asked, concerned. "Is everything ok?"

"No...no it's not. Troy...he...he was here and we..." Gabriella continued to sniff and it was obvious from her voice that she was or had been sobbing.

Taylor knew that something was wrong. Obviously Gabriella was hurting and she couldn't leave her alone. "Don't worry Gabs. Give me no more than fifteen minutes and I'll be back ok?"

"Ok." Gabriella whispered through her tears. "See you soon Tay." The girls hung up their phones, but the worried look remained on Taylor's face. Something really bad must have happened between Troy and Gabriella if she was that depressed.

Taylor began to get up until she realized that Chad was still sleeping on her lap. Taylor looked down and sighed. She couldn't just walk out on Chad, but there was no way he could be hurting as much as Gabriella right now. And according to what Taylor's sister had taught her back when they were both younger, best friends always took priority over boys. So Taylor gently lifted Chad so she could get up and then rested his head on a pillow from the couch. She wrote him up a quick note explaining why she wouldn't be there when he woke up.

_Chad, I had to go back to Gabriella's house. She called while you were asleep and sounded horrible. I had to make sure she's ok. I'm sorry I couldn't stay as long as I promised. Call me tomorrow and if you'd like, I'll come back tomorrow night so we can pick up where we left off. :) -Taylor_

Yes, she even added a little smiley face in there. But right before her name, she had crossed something out. Taylor couldn't believe she was so stupid as to almost write that. She had only written a half of three fourths of the word when she realized it couldn't be said. Not here, not now. Not through a note, not when she was dating. So she just left it at that and placed it on the table beside his dinner.

Gathering the belongings she took with her, Taylor then took one last look at Chad before heading to the door. She reached for the handle and started walking out until her head slowly turned to lay its eyes on Chad once more. Finally, partially because of her desires and partially as an involuntary action, Taylor walked back over and kissed him quickly and gently on the forehead before going back to the door.

"Sweet dreams Chad." she whispered, and then was out.

* * *

Ok, so we got a little drama with Troy and Gabriella there. Thought it would be an interesting twist and it just all ended up on there as I was typing. Now I had a few different ideas on what Gabriella's secret should be. The first one that came to my mind is very much overused, and only one other idea followed it. And then I came up with a couple of other ideas, too. So I'm gonna put a poll up so you guys can decide. And we'll see how that secret not only affects her and Troy, but also everyone else. Now as for Chad and Taylor, anyone else sensing a little somethin somethin between them? They looked pretty cozy up there.... 0=) So we'll have to wait and see what happens with them, too. And like I mentioned in a much earlier chapter somewhere, I know how those two will get back together. But I'm not ready to reveal it yet. So, is there anything else you guys would like to add for this? Or is it too soon into all the drama to say? Eh, I'll let you guys decide. I'm too lazy to think anymore tonight. So have a good night then, and happy groundhog's day. ^^


	17. Chapter 16

Ok so if I mentioned I wouldn't update this for a couple of days...I lied. I'm updating it tonight because I was bored outta my mind and it was the only story i had ideas for. xD Although I did come up with two new ideas for stories. Do you want me to post the summaries for them in author's notes and see if they're reading-worthy? Well if so, then maybe at the end as like a sneak preview thing or something after this, but it's your call. I don't wanna bore any of you guys. Oh man, I'm boring you now aren't I? Oh man, I'm such a bad person! DX I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry, please forgive me. I apologize to the world!  
Ok, my cat's looking at me like I'm a not after that (again) so we'll just move along with the story. Still dunno Gabriella's secret yet (poll for that on my profile), and you know from here things between everyone are only gonna get more dramatic. And yet again, I do not own HSM.

* * *

Chad awoke the next morning to the sun shining through the living room blinds. He shifted in his sleep, groaning at the bright light. He wasn't ready to get up yet. He needed more time to sleep. More time to clear his head. More time to be off in his own world. More time alone with Taylor. Wait a minute....

Chad shot up very quickly, not feeling Taylor anywhere on the couch. He knew she had been in the house when he fell asleep. She had to be there somewhere still, he needed her by his side. Chad frantically looked around the room but there was no sign of anyone else. His eyes eventually fell on the note she had left for him. Chad picked it up and read through it. He sighed with relief, glad to know that she didn't leave unintentionally. Chad wiped some sweat off his forehead as he leaned back on the couch. He closed his eyes momentarily and relaxed until they shot open once again. Chad leaned forward and read the note once more. Right next to Taylor's name there was a smudge or something, like something had been crossed out. But he couldn't make out what it was; all he could tell was that it was a fairly short word, if anything else. But why was it crossed out? Did he do something wrong? Did she need to tell him something? But hey, maybe it was nothing to even panic about. She could have just written 'from' and crossed it out for all he knew. But if she wrote something so simple then why cross it out? Poor cluless Chad! He just couldn't seem to put two and two together.

His eyes turned to the clock on top of the TV set. Ten-o-four a.m. Hoping it wasn't too early, Chad picked up his phone and decided to call Taylor. "I'll just make sure she and Gabriella are still in one piece." he decided to himself. He dialed Taylor's number and patiently waited for an answer. He looked at the clock and less than a minute had passed after the phone rang four times. On the fifth ring, Chad heard a yawn from the other end.

"Hello?" He could hear a sleepy Taylor's voice from the other line.

"Morning Tay." Chad greeted.

"Chad?" Taylor asked as she sat up and rubbed her eye. "It's so early. What's with the wake up call?"

"I just wanted to check on you was all. I read the note you left me." Chad replied. "How are you?"

"Exhausted." she yawned once more. "I was up most of the night trying to calm Gabriella down about Troy."

Chad sighed. "What'd that a-hole do now?"

"Chad it's too early to curse." Taylor said. "Gabriella almost spilled something confidential to Troy because they were arguing about your 'secret life' or something."

"Great, so Troy's still steamed about Dill." he sighed.

"Well right now he and Gabs are more steamed at each other." Taylor replied. "She was a wreck last night. You should have seen how depressed she was."

"Did Troy even think to apologize?" Chad asked.

"I don't even remember the details, it was over two hours ago."

"You must be wiped out if you can't remember that quick back."

"Gabriella needed me. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Nothing else." Chad shook his head. "You're a good friend Tay."

"Thanks Chad." she replied with a small smile. "I really am sorry about just leaving last night. I'll make it up to you. I know how much you need the company right now."

"That means a lot." he nodded. "You doin anything today?"

Taylor sighed. "I don't know. It depends how Gabriella's feeling. I can't leave her alone. And with Sharpay and Stella at school, not to mention Kelsi packing for a flight to leave today, I'd have to stay. I don't even think she's going into work."

"Let me know if those plans change?" Chad asked.

"Of course." she nodded. "And if I hear any word from Brian about Dylan I'll let you know. I wouldn't even begin to imagine how they're doing right now."

"Right." Chad nodded, trying to sound as calm as he could. That didn't mean he stopped hurting on the inside. "I'd better let you get some more shut eye then."

"Ok. I'll talk to you later." Taylor said. She got ready to hang up until she heard Chad's voice again. "What was that?" she asked, thinking she had heard him ask something.

Chad paused for a minute. He wanted to ask her about the note, what she crossed out. But Taylor was so tired now, maybe it wasn't a good time. Would she even remember the note word for word or what she was thinking when she wrote it? Chad bit his lower lip, trying to think of how to word it. He just wanted to know was all, not like he was asking for much.

"You know what, never mind." he decided. "Get some more rest."

"Alright." Taylor yawned. "Night Chad." And with that she hung up.

Chad reluctantly hung up his phone and leaned back on the couch once more. When did everything become so much more complicated? Feeling like he was being watched, Chad turned to the staircase where he saw his sister standing with her arms folded.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

Sharon sighed and shook her head. "Clueless as usual." she muttered, as though she knew exactly what was going on.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Ryan cautiously stepped into the auditorium during free period that day. What a coincidence that it was free for both him and Sharpay, even though Sharpay was using it to try and rehearse with the chorus kids again. Try was the key word.

"Shar can we talk for a minute?" Ryan asked once he spotted his sister. He had already ran into Troy, who had gotten called in to substitute a class, and from what Ryan could tell Troy was in a horrible mood. And as much as he hated to admit it, Ryan knew where it was all going. But he had to make sure Sharpay and troy stayed away from each other, or it would mean another fued. And Ryan couldn't handle that. He'd be leaving early to take Kelsi to the airport and there was no way he was going back on that now. Of course, if that deal she made hadn't come through she'd be in at least another week.

Sharpay turned to her brother contently. "Morning Ryan." she greeted. "You should have seen the reactions on my kids' faces when I told them the news. I can't believe you weren't here for it! Stella was all giddy, Marco was blabbing in Italian or Spanish or whatever other language he speaks, Johnny was being stupid and wide-eyed but I guess I should have seen that coming, and Sharon was being sarcastically happy..."

"Shar." he cut her off. "I get it, you're really really excited about you and Zeke and you're happy that most of your students are happy for you."

"Well, four out of six isn't so bad." Sharpay admitted. "And just wait until the kids in the drama department hear about it."

"Yeah but there's something that's kinda more important..." Ryan started.

"What could be more important than a girl's wedding that will be happening practically right before the next school year begins?" she shrugged.

"It's not till late August Shar. Let it go." Ryan said. Don't get him wrong, he was thrilled for his sister and all, but he had to get through to her head somehow and she had to be warned. "Look I need you to be on your best behavior today."

"Ry, who's sixteen minutes older?" Sharpay informed him.

Ryan sighed. "You are."

Sharpay nodded. "And who has been the more mature one through everything we've been through?"

Ryan rolled his eyes, "You were."

"Who was always being the leader and at least attempting to make you understand the alphabet when we were three?" she asked.

Ryan hated that; Sharpay only knew five more letters than he did at the time and she was getting the order of them more mixed up than he was. Besides, they were only three; what did you expect from a pair of kids? But either way he had to give the same answer. "You did."

"And when we were in high school who helped you understand things about females more such as their likes, what they wear, what they do, how they speak..." she continued.

"Ok yeah fine, it was you." Ryan concluded, sighing heavily. "Can I please get to my point?"

Sharpay blinked. "Oh, you had a point in the middle of all that?"

"Listen Sharpay. You know I have to leave early today to take Kelsi to the airport." Ryan said. "You have to keep to yourself today, at least away from Troy."

"What are you talking about?" she questioned.

"Troy's in one of the worst moods right now. I think he's furious about something." Ryan answered.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "It's probably some drama with Gabriella. I'll get Stella to talk to him before he leaves today. She can push those two together."

"That's just it." Ryan replied. "It's not entirely about Troy and Gabriella."

"What?" Sharpay asked. "Wait, then what's going on?"

"There was a bit of a sprawl between them. Just a word sprawl." Ryan explained. "At least from what I can gather. And Troy's not as mad at Gabriella as he is about someone else. You can't get dragged into the middle of this and you have to let Troy calm down. I know you two can argue when provoked enough and believe me, he's provoked enough as it is."

"Stop talking in riddles!" she insisted.

"I'm trying not to." Ryan moaned. "Look, Troy's in a bad mood today. He and Gabriella argued. He's angrier at someone else than her."

"Why is he so mad at someone else if he's mad at Gabriella? It's easier for those two to kiss and make up anyway." Sharpay replied.

"I don't even know. But I know Troy's angry at _someone_." Ryan said. "He needs space to cool off and well..."

Sharpay folded her arms and stared her brother down. "Ryan..."

"And well..." he reluctantly rubbed the back of his neck as he forced himself to continue, "you sorta kinda have a tendency to get people angry on impulse and start an all-out war between people."

"Not helping!" Sharpay yelled.

Ryan rubbed his ear like she yelled directly into it. "Yeah, much like that." he muttered.

"Hey is everything ok in here?" Stella asked as she walked in with a couple of the other students. "Mr. Ryan, Mrs. Baylor why are you two arguing now? Didn't the principal say no sibling rivalry between teachers during school hours?"

Sharpay turned to the senior. "First of all, I'm not Mrs. Baylor yet. Second of all, you're not going to be in this school next year to even call me that. Third, don't you people ever knock? And lastly, it's none of your business."

Johnny looked at the teacher confused. "Wait, I thought we didn't have to knock to come into the auditorium when you called us down?"

Stella raised an eyebrow at her classmate and glanced at Marco, who was about her height and skin tone but spoke in a heavier accent. The boy merely shrugged and removed his hat to reveal wavy-ish red hair.

"Look, like I said it's none of your business." Sharpay shook her head, not wanting to deal with the curly haired boy's stupidity right now. Hey, it wasn't her fault she was right about his brains. She folded her arms and looked at the three. "We're three students short."

"Charlotte had to make up a test this period and couldn't come. She said she'd make it up to us next meet." Marco answered. "And I think Robby's out today cause he wasn't in my last class."

Sharpay sighed heavily. "Ok, so those two are off the hook." She muttered to Stella, "Are you sure they're not somewhere else together?"

"Not yet they aren't, but I'm working on it." Stella giggled.

"Forget I asked." Sharpay said to herself. She turned to the back doors to see Sharon walk in casually. "You're late." she scolded. "And you weren't in homeroom either."

Sharon shrugged as she joined the group. "I didn't wake up till nine-thirty. I didn't feel like coming to school before eight a.m. Besides, not like I'm in danger of failing some stupid morning classes."

"Yeah well more more absence or late from you and you will fail homeroom." Sharpay promised.

"So what are you gonna do about rehearsal today, Shar?" Ryan asked. "You're two people short and even if you wanted to go over anything for the senior musical you couldn't do it with four kids."

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" she questioned.

"Fine, I can take a hint." Ryan sighed. "Just remember what I told you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." she rolled her eyes.

Ryan moaned and reluctantly left the auditorium.

"Um, is everything ok?" Stella inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh stop your worrying. We're all just peachy." Sharpay said.

"Wow, you sounded almost like Ashley Tisdale when you said that." Johnny joked. He held his hand up for a high five and looked at his peers. Sharon hit her forehead, Stella shook her head, and Marco turned away with his hand up as though he were saying, 'talk to the hand'. Johnny sighed and put his hand down.

"Ok, flattery will get you nowhere today." Sharpay warned. "Forget it, everyone go wherever. I'm done here." She sighed heavily and stormed out of the room.

"That went well." Sharon muttered sarcastically.

"Mrs. Baylor sounds really stressed." Stella observed.

"I thought she was Ms. Evans?" Johnny asked.

Sharon was about to flip him and attempt to knock some sense into the boy when Stella held her hand up. "Let it go this time." she said. "Come on, we should really do something for her."

"We may need to do something for Mr. Bolton, too." Marco admitted. "I had Gym with him second period and he was in a really bad mood. Every time he was about to curse, I had to yell something like 'mushroom' or 'firetruck' to stop him."

Stella turned to him perplexed. "Troy's in a bad mood?" she asked.

"Who's Troy?" Johnny asked.

"Oh, that's it." Sharon insisted. She grabbed Johnny's wrist and tossed him over her, slamming him onto the ground back first.

Stella kept her attention on Marco. "What were you saying about Troy?" she asked.

"He was pretty angry today." Marco explained. "I think something's going on with him. You said he was dating your cousin, right?"

"Yeah, but my parents are back from their trip. I'm not in Gabriella's house anymore." Stella replied. "I don't know what's going on with her and Troy."

"Well you gotta find out what's going on." Marco stated. "If anyone else of us tries to knock some sense into him we're probably in trouble."

"I can stop by Gabriella's house after school. I don't want to get on Troy's bad side here and get one of us in trouble, especially like three weeks before graduation." Stella decided.

"But it's free period. You could always call her now." he suggested.

"Good point." Stella admitted. "And if she's as upset as Troy, it could be classified to a low degree of family emergency. Can you see if Troy's in one of the offices or something? We can compare notes and maybe Troy will get somewhere talking to someone."

"Alright, but it's not your funeral." Marco sighed.

Stella smiled and nodded. Then she remembered Sharon and Johnny and how she was still flipping him. "Oh wait, what about those two?" she asked pointing to them.

Marco glanced at the two and shrugged. "If he keeps hitting his head, he'll probably be ok. We can leave them."

Stella folded her arms and sighed. "Alright. Maybe it'll slow down the killing process for them."

"Wait, she's gonna kill me?" Johnny gasped as he overheard them. Before he said another word, he was knocked into the wall.

"Don't destroy anything and don't get in trouble!" Stella called as she and Marco left. "I do feel slightly guilty about leaving them." she admitted quietly once in the hallway.

"They'll be fine." Marco said. "Besides it's only a matter of time until Sharon gets bored and leaves him for the cafeteria." He snapped his fingers, "Hey did you know they give away free ice cream with lunch today?"

"Oh, I hope it's those little chocolate and vanilla cups!" Stella grinned.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

With Gabriella now under the watchful eye of Stella, courtesy of their phone conversation earlier that day, Taylor took the opportunity to return to Chad's. She figured that Gabriella felt a little more comfortable talking to Stella and Taylor didn't blame her. Stella had found out from a classmate how Troy was doing that day and he was in just as bad a mood as Gabriella...except angrier. But it was good to try and see things from both points of views now. Taylor was just hoping it was successful and the fued between the couple wouldn't continue. As for her own dilema everything was fine for the moment. She hadn't recieved any calls from Brian about Dylan so she was assuming it meant the two were getting along or at least taking the time to get to know each other. And she only heard from Chad again around lunch so they could work out a time to see each other. Not it was five o-clock and Taylor was on Chad's doorstep ready to see him. He sounded better than he did yesterday, which was a good sign. She knew he couldn't be down in the dumps forever.

Taylor stood at the door and knocked on it, patiently waiting for Chad to answer. She tapped her fingers against the strap of her purse as she waited. One minute and nothing; she would have figured Chad was quicker than this. Maybe he was in the bathroom? She cocked an eyebrow and knocked again. She waited some more and still there was no answer. Taylor wasn't sure whether to act angry or concerned now. "Chad are you in there?" she asked with one more knock. Again, nothing. "Chad?" she asked as she cautiously turned the doorknob. The door creaked open for a moment; it was unlocked. Taylor took a step back, wondering if she should walk forward. "Chad are you in there?" she asked, leaning her head forward to try and get a better look inside. "Can I come in?"

Now Taylor really was becoming concerned. Chad still wouldn't reply. The door was unlocked and after five minutes she heard nothing from inside. Something had to be wrong. Placing her fingers in between the crack of the door, she peered inside carefully. From what she could tell the living room was a mess. Even the kitchen looked slightly eskew, at least from her angle. Blinking, Taylor took another step in and slowly walked into the living room. The floor appeared stained; the couch, even from the back end, looked completely out of place; picture frames were knocked to the ground, some broken; one of the vases in the room was even shattered onto the floor; there appeared to be some kind of spill in the kitchen and a few of the cupboard doors were opened.

Slowly making her way to the couch, Taylor walked over to its side to see if there was anything around it that she missed. And indeed there was. In front of the couch (or in back of it, from where she had been standing), one of the couch pillows was on the floor and there was a broken bottle, most likely from a drink or cup. And right in the middle of all of it was Chad. The good news was, the room looked in worse shape than he did. The bad news was, he looked like he'd been punched a few times and knocked out cold. He was laying on his back with a hand on his chest, his hair a mess (looking much messier than it usually did), and his lip had been bleeding some.

"Chad!" Taylor gasped, leaning down to his level and picked his head up slightly. She sat his head in her lap and Chad stirred slightly. He awoke slowly and his eyes fluttered, but a smile crept onto his face crookedly as he tried to make a joke out of it like he would have ages ago.

"I guess the couch doesn't know it's own strength." he joked, his voice slightly hoarse. He was referring to the couch pillow that was laying beside him, partially covering his leg.

Taylor giggled faintly but it didn't last. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Chad looked up at her, able to see the concern held in her eyes. "I kind of got an unexpected visit." he admitted.

"From who? What did they do to you?" Taylor asked, scanning over his body to see if there were any other cuts besides on his lip.

Chad paused for a minute, trying to figure out how to word it. He was silent until he finally thought of a response. "Let's just say when you don't tell your best friend something important and they have a fight with someone, they know who to put the hurt on."

* * *

Da da duuuuun! Bu bu buuuuum! Yeah, dramaic like music there. You know, like on that one episode of Phile of the Future if you ever saw it? When Phil and his friends were making that documentary about the meteor? Yeah, never mind now. So this was one crazy chapter. You had an insider to a typical day at East High nowadays, you saw some of the teens interact with each other and see how close they really were to the first generation of Wildcats, you hopefully saw some clueless comedy-like humor that you would on TV shows at school (eh, could've just been my imagination there), and you probably figured out what happened there at the end. So, I made sure that this whole chapter wouldn't be about Taylor and Chad even if I wanted to make most of the story about them. But the next chapter, that's probably all there'll be. Like a filler chapter, if you will. You'll see what I mean when I post it. Hopefully it'll be soon. And like I said, if you wanna see anything specific with the other characters or you have ideas on how to make the story better or whatever, feel free to say so. C'mon, I don't bite. Well, except my nails... xD Wait no! I didn't mean to scare you off! I'm not gonna bite you or your nails! Wait, come back! At least stay for the next chapter, pretty pwease?


	18. Chapter 17

Yay, you came back! You weren't scared off! ^^ Happy person right here. So how is everyone's day going? Hey do you ever have a really weird dream that you know freaked out out last night but then in the morning you couldn't remember that? Yeah, that happened to me today. And it's freaking getting on my nerves that i don't remember it! Anyway,I'll just keep this a/n short and move onto the chapter. Once again, I still do not own HSM.

* * *

"Ouch!" Chad gasped, jerking his head away.

Taylor sighed and sat on the couch beside him. Within the past fifteen minutes or so, she had gotten Chad onto the couch and looked for something to place on his cut and got a few ice packs together to put on any bruises he had. But Chad was putting up such a fuss over a little cold water on a tissue.

"Chad we have to put something on that cut." she scolded. "And we have to see where else you got hurt."

"I don't need immediate care." Chad insisted. "It's not like Troy and I haven't fought before."

"But you two have never been this angry at each other before. Look around the room. And trust me, it looks a lot worse than you do." Taylor replied.

"It's not like anyone died, Tay. Why do you make such a big deal about it?" he questioned.

She shot him a doubtful look. "Work with me here, Chad. Cooperate. We have to make sure you don't get infected or anything."

"I feel fine." he rolled his eyes.

"Chad Danforth, do not make me pull out the middle name." Taylor reprimanded once more.

"But hate my middle name. It sounds like an old geezer!" Chad moaned.

Taylor sighed heavily. "First of all, that's impolite. Second of all, keep putting up a fight and you're getting the middle name whether you like it or not."

Chad sighed and reluctantly agreed. He shuddered and tried to refrain himself from jumping back as the cold dripping water on the opposing soft tissue touched the sore spot on his face. Chad sighed with relief as he felt Taylor's gentle touch through the wet cloth, gently pushing down on it and giving him a comfortable feel. What was he so worried about, again?

Taylor's face softened as she saw him relax. "Now Chad, tell me what happened. Where else did he hit you?"

"Mainly the face and stomach, but I might have taken one blow to my chest." he admitted.

Taylor briefly removed the tissue from him. "Take off your shirt." she told him.

"Tay..." he started.

"Shirt. Off. Now." she repeated.

"Ok, that I understood. You should talk like Tarzan more often." Chad joked.

She rolled her eyes. "Just take it off so I can see where else you got hit. I'll have a better idea where to put the ice packs and if you'll need anything else."

Chad obeyed and slowly removed his shirt. He discarded the clothing onto the side and fixed a pillow so he could lean up against the arm of the chair. He saw Taylor sitting there frozen, as though she was actually frozen in time staring at him. "You ok?" he wondered.

Taylor blinked. "Huh?" she asked. She shook her head quickly, "Yeah I'm fine." Trying to keep her eyes away from his face and focus on the situation at hand, Taylor looked at his torso and slowly yet gently moved her finger across it. She located one bruise on his chest, which definitely looked like something had hit Chad. She traced the wounds a little lower to his stomach. It appeared as though there were smaller, more minor bruises but nothing as bad as on his chest. It must have been one powerful blow compared to the remainder of the blows she saw on the stomach. Taylor gently lifted her hand back to his chest and placed it over the bruise. She felt Chad twitch at the touch and could swear she felt him shudder.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, looking at him slightly.

"Just a little." Chad admitted. "It feels better now." He looked at Taylor as he spoke, barely even feeling the pain after the first second she touched it. It felt like there was nothing wrong with him now. Just staring at her and focusing on nothing else, it felt like nothing even happened. For a moment he was completely lost in her gaze.

Taylor tried to look somewhere else - anywhere else - but her eyes remained on Chad and only on Chad. She desperately wanted to get out, but she knew there was no escape. Man, why did she tell him to take his shirt off? Now so many thoughts were clouding her common sense. Taylor opened her mouth to speak, to say something to let go of the moment they were having.

"How did you say you got hurt again?" she forced out.

Chad was quiet for a minute. He was enjoying the silence between them. "When Troy came over I thought we were gonna talk things out. Well, for the most part. We just ended up arguing and throwing punches." Chad explained. "He mainly got me in the stomach, but he knocked me down when he punched me in the face." He traced the cut on his lip carefully before he continued. "I got him a couple of times on the side and I saw him limp out a bit, but he ended it with a hard punch in my chest. He kept blaming me for what happened between him and Gabriella, saying it was my fault that she was keeping secrets from him."

"I'm sure he just got carried away. If Troy's as smart as everyone thinks then he'll come to his senses and realize what he did was wrong." Taylor said.

"How can you just sit there sounding so calm?" Chad asked. "How do you know he won't show his temper again? This was like the first time he showed it and I don't wanna see it again."

"You know you can't stay mad at him forever." she shook her head softly. "He's your best friend and you can't hate him. Troy got carried way and he let his anger get the better of him. And I know it hurts now but it won't hurt forever."

"What makes you think that?" Chad asked.

"Do you remember when we were seniors in high school and Ms. Darbus chose you and Gabriella to sing at the fundraiser for the school one weekend?" Taylor reminded him. "Troy and I both became suspicious that you and Gabriella were doing more together than just rehearsing. He had a minor argument with Gabriella and we had a bigger one about it. Troy and Gabriella were able to get over it easier because they had more trust in each other than we did at the time. But to me, it hurt to think you might be cheating with my best friend. But Troy was the one who talked me into going with him to the fundraiser so we could hear you and Gabriella sing. And look at where we ended up. We stopped fighting and made up, and we had a great time that night. My point is, it hurt when I at first thought about what you were doing wrong. I got carried away and you know I apologized when it was all said and done with. I realized what I had done wrong that time. So this time Troy needs to realize what he did was wrong."

"I guess I understand." Chad said. "I just thought Troy would be smarter than this, or he'd be more supportive."

"He'll come around." Taylor promised. "You just have to give him a chance."

"Kinda like how you gave me a chance?" he asked with a small smile.

A smile crept onto Taylor's face as she nodded. "Yeah. Kind of like that." By now she was sitting at the edges of Chad's legs, at first earlier ready to attend to his wounds. But now they were the last thing on her mind. She looked right at Chad and kept her eyes on him. Why did, even now of all times, did she have to be attracted to him? He was so calm and laid back. For once Taylor could see the guy she used to know. She knew what she said about wanting to see that Chad again even for a second, but after what he went through now did it really seem worth it? And his body...dang, don't even get her started! His abs looked just like they did before even with the bruise, like nothing ever happened. And even with a setback on sports he still seemed so muscular and athletic. She could see herself feeling just like home now.

Chad had smiled at her comment. His hand involuntarily slipped over hers, which was still resting on his chest. Man, how good it felt to hold her hand again, like it was his perfect fit. And the way he felt with her half-way on top of him, it was like a void to him has finally been found. How he wanted to wrap his arms around her and just pull her in closer. And now, looking at Taylor, he barely even felt pain anymore. In his mind he knew that he was still physically hurt but when he looked at Taylor it was as though nothing was wrong with him. Now Chad knew what he had been missing out on for so long. That was what, practically nine or ten years of their lives they'd never get back, and instead of spending them alone struggling with his dysfunctional family he could have been with Taylor the whole time. Thoughts of her clouded his mind and he thought back to the other day when he ran out of the hospital and Taylor had followed him. The conversation played back in his head like it was on rewind.

_"What happened to the old Chad Danforth? The guy that I actually fell in love with?_

It stuck out in his head like a sore thumb. It kept repeating itself in Chad's head.

_The guy that I actually fell in love with?_

The guy she actually fell in love with! As crazy as Chad thought it was, Taylor had actually said that. Even though they had confessed about it in high school, there she was two days ago reminding him that she fell in love with him. But was it merely a reminder, or was she insinuating that she was still in love with him? Chad sure wished he knew, because now he knew for sure. He wanted Taylor. He needed Taylor. He loved Taylor. And she had to know.

"Taylor, I..." Chad started softly.

Taylor shushed him quietly and gently placed a finger over his lips. She was quiet, and he could swear he knew why. Chad had barely begun to lean forward when he heard Taylor's cell phone ring again. Taylor held in a sigh as she picked up the phone to look at the caller ID. It was Brian. Was he calling to see how she was? To see if she was lonely? To invite her over? Was there a problem with him and Dylan? Maybe he was calling about Dylan? Taylor thought about responding to the call as the ringing continued, only to be interrupted by Chad.

"Who is it?" he wondered quietly, the room otherwise silent.

Taylor's head shot up as she looked at him. She was silent for a minute, not sure what to say. If the call was about Dylan, then there was no way Dylan would want to talk to Chad and besides, Chad needed rest right now. He couldn't be bothered worrying about Dylan. "It's not important." she finally shook her head softly.

"You sure?" Chad asked.

Taylor nodded and closed her phone, placing it back on the coffee table that was slightly askew from the couch. "I'm positive." she nodded.

Chad remained where he was, eyes still on Taylor, but he neither leaned in more or pulled back. "Tay there's something I have to tell you..." he said.

"It's nothing that can't wait." she shook her head, keeping her voice low. She moved in less than an inch closer, forgetting about losing control of her actions whether she wanted them or not.

Chad could feel himself moving closer to Taylor. Lost in his own world and in her eyes now, they were only inches apart. "Tay I just...we....." he said again, his voice dropping to a whisper. He wanted to get it out, but it only ended in stutters.

That was the last thing he said before his and Taylor's lips brushed up against each other, easily forming into a kiss. It was a soft as the first one, but easily held so much more passion. Chad's hand slid around Taylor's body, pulling her in just a little closer. He tried to slowly deepened the kiss and at first Taylor wouldn't let him. How was she going to explain this? Sure, it'd be obvious that she was spending time with Chad but wasn't it understandable? But would the kiss be understandable? Maybe it would be better to keep it secret. But then she really would be cheating. Taylor couldn't think to do that. Yet at the same time she couldn't let herself break the kiss. She finally let Chad deepen it and her hand went behind him, beginning to go through his curly hair. Chad was completely leaning back on the pilllow and arm of the couch now and Taylor was being pulled in even closer. She moved into a more comfortable position, accidentally leaning her knee into Chad's stomach. A moan escaped his mouth and into the kiss at the action. Taylor started to pull away to see if he was alright, but Chad wouldn't let her. He wanted to keep her there as long as he could. It took him this long to realize what he had been missing out on and he wasn't about to let her go so quickly now. Taylor reluctantly agreed to him and remained where she was. Her knee still digging into his stomach, Chad tried his best to surpress a moan but it went noticed. Taylor finally realized this and pulled away briefly. She monitered her actions carefully to make sure she didn't hit any other sensitive areas. She moved her lower body to Chad's side so it was between him and the couch cushions, and her torso carefully laid on Chad's chest. Taylor knew she couldn't keep herself away anymore. She had to go back to him. In Chad's arms she was safe and relaxed. She was a different person and it felt like nothing could get to her. It was that little extra boost of confidence she needed, that she always got from being around Chad.

Making sure that Chad was in a more comfortable position now, as she was, Taylor looked back at Chad. She removed her hand from his chest and out of his grasp and cupped his cheeks in both of her hands. This time, unlike the first two where it was unknown which one had really made the first move, Taylor had made the first dive in. She kissed him and Chad responded immediately. She could feel her arms against his bare chest, enjoying the feeling and missing how it felt. His muscular arms were both around her body now, one around her back and his other hand holding the back of her head and gently playing with strands of her hair. They felt each others' bangs brush up against each other and the kiss deepened, neither of them wanting it to end. And even if a small part of Chad wanted to remove Taylor's shirt and confess everything to her right then and there he knew he was in no position to. And if it weren't for him holding back on that, it was almost like they picked up exactly where they left off.

Unfortunately not everything is meant to last forever. A voice echoed through the living room which caused the couple to quickly pull away from each other. "Please send me back to detention!"

Chad's head shot to the door as he sat up a bit straighter and Taylor jolted practically to the other end of the couch. Their eyes widened as they saw Sharon standing in the doorway looking, well to put it simply, disgusted. "When did you get here?" Chad gasped.

"Just now. I was stuck with detention after school when I missed the first couple of classes this morning and then got in trouble for 'beating a fellow student'." Sharon replied, using air quotes. She rolled her eyes, "I wasn't even beating him up. Just flipping him onto the floor and walls."

"Sharon what are you thinking?" Chad scolded.

"I'm thinking that what I do is none of your business!" Sharon replied. "You were too busy making out with that...I don't even know what to call her!"

"Leave Taylor out of this." Chad warned.

"I'm a big girl, I can handle myself." Taylor said. She stood up and took her phone and purse. "I'll just let you two deal with this sibling rivalry thing." She made her way towards the door.

"Tay..." Chad started.

Sharon blew some hair out of her face and interrupted. "Good, we never wanted a dog in this house anyway."

Taylor spun back to Sharon. "Excuse me?" she questioned.

Chad was about to step in - in a manner of speaking - but Sharon continued. "You heard me! What right do you even have to come in here anyway? You know, we were better without you around! So get out of both our lives why don't you?"

"Who are you to question what I'm doing with my life?" Taylor interrogated, more than annoyed now. "What right do you have to just walk over and insult me? Why have you been insistent on doing this from practically the second we met?"

"Oh like you haven't noticed we have so much better things to do than deal with you." Sharon said sarcastically. "You wanna know what the problem is? You really wanna know?"

"Yeah I wanna know." Taylor insisted.

"With you around I didn't know my own family anymore! Instead of just doing the plain encouragement and always helping Chad with basketball my dad smothered me with attention and pushed me into a bunch of stuff I never wanted to do. My mom acted like everything was perfectly fine and like there was nothing to worry about even though she was completely oblivious to every little thing! And Chad and I argued plenty before then because we simply didn't get along. But do you know what you did to him? I didn't even know who I was arguing with anymore!" Sharon blurt out, frustrated. "Say what you want about how stupid it sounds but it's true. You think you're so high and mighty and important but here's a newsflash for you. You're not! There's other people that Chad needed to focus on and you took that away from him. And you know something, there's nothing you can do about it now cause Chad and I are the only ones left. So don't pull the 'you got me all wrong, I really do care' crap. Cause you don't." She shook her head and glared at Taylor. "You just don't get it." She turned on her heel and stormed upstairs.

Taylor stood there silent. She didn't see any of that coming. She didn't even know why it was eating away at her so much. But it hurt. Had she really been that much trouble before? Surely if she had known sooner.... But Sharon could be making it up. It could be an excuse. But it was awfully convincing. There had to be something behind it....

"Tay?" Chad asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. He got up and started walking over to her.

"No, stay on the couch." Taylor shook her head.

Chad didn't listen. He walked over to her and stood in front, his hands on her shoulders. He gave her a concerned look.

"Was I ever really that much trouble? Did I do all of that?" she asked, looking at Chad.

"You know I don't think that." Chad shook his head. "How could I ever think that when I-"

"You're right." Taylor interrupted. "You're not the one who said all of that. I need to go straight to the source."

"Are you sure? I mean what if you bite each others' heads off again?" Chad asked.

"I'll be fine, I can handle myself." Taylor assured him, feeling more comfortable now. Even if it was only a few sentences, Chad could always make her feel better by saying something. "I'd better get this over with and then call Brian. I have to tell him why I didn't answer the phone before."

Oh snap! Because of Chad's infatuation he still couldn't rememeber that Taylor was taken. "Tay I'm sorry." he apologized. "About before, I just forgot that you..."

"Chad it's ok." she interrupted again. "I have to explain to Brian what happened and let him know that..."

Chad didn't let her finish this time. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. "Right. Yeah, I get it." he said. "You need to tell him it was a mistake."

Taylor blinked. "What?"

"You need to tell Brian it was a mistake. I get it. You should be kissing him, not me." Chad said. "I'm sorry, I should've known better. I got it the first time but I got carried away today."

Taylor shook her head. "You really think what we did was a mistake? We were just kissing. I explained to Brian that you're just a friend."

"Exactly. And that's all I'll ever be." Chad replied. "Friends aren't supposed to kiss like we did. It was wrong. We made a mistake, I get it. And I don't need kissing just to make me feel better. all I needed was you, Tay. Just you being here and showing that you cared. But I know what you were thinking all along. You don't care, I'm not important."

"Chad I never-" she started.

"Don't worry, I'm getting out of it." Chad promised. "You won't even have to deal with me anymore. Just..." he paused to force his negative thoughts out there. "Just go do what you need to do. I'm gonna go out. You can just leave whenever you're done. I'll..." Wait, what was he supposed to say? He'd see her around? He'd see her soon? He'd talk to her later? Finding himself at a loss of words, Chad just said the next thing that came to his head before he walked out the front door with his shirt. "Bye Taylor."

She didn't know what to think as she watched Chad leave. What was she supposed to do now? Not even giving it another minute to think, Taylor groaned heavily and stormed upstairs. As soon as she found Sharon sitting in her bedroom, Taylor pushed the door opened and walked in.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?" Taylor demanded. "Do you see what ideas you put in Chad's head now?"

"Hey it's not my fault they were the truth." Sharon insisted as she stood up.

"And you say I'm the one causing all the problems in your family." she replied sarcastically. "It's not my fault that a few things about Chad changed. Opposites attract and sometimes when they do, opposing qualities are passed from one to the other. It's not my fault that Chad found Dylan and brought him home calling him his son. With the way you act, you should be glad Dylan isn't mine. It's not my fault that your parents never made it home from their last honeymoon. I wasn't in the picture at the time, I had nothing to do with it."

"Newsflash, dorkette. You know nothing about my parents!" Sharon insisted. "Do you even know what it's like to live off of a brother you know nothing about? Yes, I sympathize with him at points but only because we both went through losing our parents. It doesn't mean I love my brother and it doesn't mean I like living with him. I put up with him because I have to. I put up with all of the stuff I do now because I had to then and I do now."

"Then why take your anger out on me?" Taylor questioned. "How would you like it if things were reversed and I took my anger out on you?"

"I'd deal with it as it came, same I always did." Sharon snapped.

"And now I'm stuck dealing with you as it comes just like I was in high school!" Taylor replied.

"Look you don't go acting so high and proud. What's so special about you anyway? You've got your parents. You've got a good paying job. You've got friends. You act all powerful and confident because things come easy to you." Sharon said. "Heads up, it ain't always like that."

"So what, now I'm detecting jealousy?" she asked, folding her arms.

"You're detecting someone who hates you." Sharon corrected. "Smarty-pants, confident, overachieving, seductive...need I go on?"

"So what are you trying to say?" Taylor interrogated.

"I'm saying exactly all the reasons why I never liked you, and I'm sure why my dad never did. You were nothing but a distraction." she countered. "Things didn't turn out great on my end. I get along with probably two people. I have to keep my grades up somehow so I know there's enough money for me to go to college aside from the funds my parents saved from when I was a kid. I have to keep doing athletics because it looks good on college applications. I have to stick with theater because that's where my only friends are and it gives me a reason to not come home as quickly as I want to. And this..." she gestured to the room, "this isn't even my house. We didn't have enough money to keep the one we lived in before so we had to move here. It's not going to be my home, it's never going to be my home. Do you know any of the stuff I'm saying? Do you have any idea where I'm coming from?"

"You think I'm not tuned in? You think I don't have a clue?" Taylor questioned. "Let me bring you up to speed, I do have a clue. Until this past weekend I kept in contact with one friend when I moved and no one else mattered. I was on my own and barely talked to any other co-workers because I wanted to stay on my own. I got good grades in school because I liked school, I liked learning, and I happened to be smart. It had its advantages and I took them as much as I could even though I would never admit how stressed out I was every night. I got more involved with the school than Chem Club and Scholastic Decathlon meetings so I could be more involved, get good reviews on college applications, and contribute something else to it for a change. The home I live in now isn't anywhere near here and it's never going to be my home because it's never going to have my friends or the people I care about in it. All it is, is a place for me to live and be able to work where I do. And let me bring you up to speed on another factor, I do know what it's like to lose loved ones. My brother died in the war. My sister doesn't remember anything about herself or her family. My parents were so depressed about the first born children that thy left everything else about their lives here behind and with the rate I've been keeping in contact with them, that includes me. So don't come yapping to me about your sorry excuse for a life when I know just how you feel!"

The girls mirrored each others' looks. Their arms were folded and they were having a stare-off, sending glared in the others' direction. Both were standing, Taylor only needing to look down a few inches at Sharon. Neither moved an inch and neither barely blinked. They were quiet and let the argument slowly die down into the silence that now filled the room. Maybe it was because neither of them had a proper counter prepared. Maybe it was because they were tired of fighting with each other. Maybe it was because somehow, they had finally reached an understanding.

"You know they say it's easier to talk about something you hate more than something you love." Sharon stated, finally breaking the silence.

"We did go off a lot on what we hated about our lives, didn't we?" Taylor had to agree.

Another moment of silence.

"But I guess I do understand where you're coming from, to an extent." Taylor admitted. "I knew how hard everything has been on Chad but I never stopped to think about how it might have impacted the rest of his family."

"And just because you happened to be that one person I hated more than anyone else in my life, whether there was a rational reason or not," Sharon replied, "that doesn't mean I had to go biting your head off every time."

Taylor nodded and opened her mouth to speak again, but Sharon cut her off.

"And to make this whole understanding thing between us end," she decided, "let's just say we were able to reach an understanding and leave it at that."

"I think that's fair enough for now." Taylor agreed. She smiled slightly, but Sharon just shook her head. For once, it wasn't in the bored or disappointed manner that it usually was in.

"You should probably get back downstairs to Chad." Sharon said.

"He kind of walked out." Taylor replied.

"Typical." Sharon sighed. "If I don't walk out then he has to."

"Just this conclusion jumping thing he was doing. He thinks that just because I'm seeing someone else, he doesn't matter anymore. Like I don't care about his existence." Taylor explained.

"Well that's ironic since he's over the top for you." Sharon rolled her eyes.

Taylor blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"Hey, I may hate romance beyond all belief and find it disgusting, but that doesn't mean I'm oblivious to it." Sharon shrugged.

Taylor shook her head. "Chad doesn't have any feelings for me. He was just looking for a way to feel better. I got caught up in the moment thinking there was something more."

"Well here's an update for you," Sharon informed her, "stop thinking the opposite of that and do somethin about it. You both gotta spill your innermost things or else it ain't ever gonna work."

She shook her head once more. "You're wrong. I know we reached some form of agreement, but that doesn't mean I'm going to believe you when you're making this up to set me up for a disaster again."

Sharon shrugged, seemingly innocent-like. "If you really think that's the case."

"I know that's the case."

"If you really are sure."

"I'm sure."

"If you wanna keep on believing that."

Taylor sighed heavily and stormed out the door, heading back downstairs to leave. "There is nothing between me and Chad. I was caught up in a moment and he doesn't love me."

If only she knew how wrong she was. If only they both knew how wrong they were.

* * *

Wow, drama much up in here? We had that spur of the moment thing, we had the misunderstanding, we had rivalry, we had...well, what I call confusion. Crowded chapter, huh? So what the heck comes next then? C'mon, there's gotta be something more happening. We got two incredibly clueless people and an evil sister here. Can anyone in this story take a hint? Hey wait a minute, why am I even asking any of this? It was all in my head. o_0 Ah well, that'll probably be the last chapter for the evening. I'll see what I can add tomorrow. I took a long break trying to stall on the mushy scene in this chapter (xD) and then I got distracted by watching Hercules on Toon Disney. Good move, isn't it? ^^ Ok, I will shut up here now and let you guys be on your way. Don't wanna keep you from reading anything else or doing something else before the night is over. Feel free to review if you wish, I have been a good girl at least attempting to reply to them so I'm the only one talking to (from where I'm typing at the moment) an empty computer screen. XD So until the next chapter, night night everyone!


	19. Chapter 18

Well I'm bored outta my mind here. I got nothing better to do so I thought I'd add in the next chapter. Yup, that's how lazy i am. XD Anyway I was reading up on some of my own stories earlier, trying to figure out if I liked anything about them and tried to see which ones were the least stinky. =P Well there were a couple, and I'm hoping they help me come up with the next chapters in this or my other oneshots/songfics. And in other news, HSM3 is coming to DVD soon. How cool is that? ^^ I watched the bloopers on youtube so much. C'mon, you all know bloopers are classics for any movie! So, with my bday next week and a gift card from Best Buy from Hannukah, I'm gonna treat myself to that DVD and a large bowl of popcorn one night. ^^ Mmm, popcorn. Oh snap, now I'm turning into Homer Simpson! DX Eh, you know I'm just joking around right people? So now let's get to you guys. What do you want to see? How has life been treating you? How are you holding up with everything suspenseful? And ending off this a/n with you guys, I'm going to say thanks again for the reviews on this story. C= So thank you to... -quickly looks over reviews- ...lilmissmonique, digigirl02, ChaylorTwilightQueen10, and Always-Here-Imani.

* * *

Amazing how much can happen when a week passes you by. One day everything is perfectly fine and the next day turns into depression for a good week. Not even a regular ordinary depression, but the kind that stays for that entire time and there's not much to keep your mind off of it. Figure now the reunion was nearly two weeks ago, and you remember how that went for the first few days. So what about the former Wildcats? Where does that leave them on this sunny Thursday afternoon?

We know Kelsi has gone back to work, and that barely left her any time for phone calls with her friends. Needless to say she has been doing great. The other night she managed to get in a short conversation with Ryan over the phone. Sure, Ryan could have told her about the drama between everyone back home but then how would that be fair to Kelsi? She was occupied enough with her own work so why worry her more? Ryan, on the other hand, has been stuck as Troy's sidekick if you will. He has been the one Troy was going to, to complain to, to get his thoughts out, to just listen to him. Ryan hated it very much. If Troy wasn't freaking out about Gabriella, he was trying to figure out if he went too hard on Chad or not. And every time Ryan even opened his mouth to give a statement or his opinion Troy would start talking again.

Zeke had been swamped at his bakery. There were so many orders for numerous occasions that he had to keep telling Sharpay they couldn't talk dates, weddings, or anything. Sharpay threw a few fits, but eventually calmed down and let Zeke know she understood. But due to all that work Zeke was now as much out of the loop about everyone as Kelsi. And again, why worry him when he has enough work to do? Sharpay, on the other hand, was still trying to get to the bottom of everything. Because of Ryan trying to keep Sharpay away from Troy, she was suspicious. She wanted to know what was going on and she was going to stop at nothing to make sure she knew. Unfortunately that meant jumping down Ryan's throat at work as well, and it didn't go over so well with the students. Or the principal.

Chad was back on his own, facing mixed feelings. His house felt completely empty as well as his heart. He didn't even feel comfortable talking toa nyone about it, feeling like they wouldn't understand. Not showing the same energy he usually did at the bowling alley, business began to drop some. Realizing that he couldn't risk going out of business Chad stepped up his game as quickly as he could. It served as a temporary distraction, to say the least. Taylor was having just as many mixed feelings. As far as she knew there was nothing between her and Chad. Still, that didn't mean she felt comfortable talking to Brian in person. She couldn't let him get the wrong idea about her and Chad, and she was trying to convince herself that Brian needed more time alone with Dylan. The one bright side was that Gabriella was Taylor's distraction. Staying under the same roof did have its perks when two girls were having boy problems.

Speaking of Gabriella, she still hasn't come clean to Troy. She did feel guilty that she had kept it from him, but she was still at least a little ticked with him. Why get so mad at her for keeping a secret? She just didn't want to get Troy angry especially when things were going so well between them. And when it came to Stella trying to talk to her or Troy, Gabriella refused. She didn't want to hear it at all. But what Gabriella failed to admit to anyone was that she was still in love with Troy. Last but not least, Troy was the guiltest of all of his friends. He felt horrible about hitting Chad and trashing his house. He kept mentally kicking himself for reacting on Gabriella the way that he did. And he felt horrible that Ryan was the only person he would let himself talk to about it. Troy didn't even know why he had been so furious in the first place, which was the hardest thing to admit to.

Needless the say, the former Wildcats are slowly separating once again. No one was holding the blame on their own, whether they knew it or not. No matter how it was sliced, none of them were in the best of moods. And Troy had seen enough of it. He was done with putting off all of his work because of his misery. He was done taking it out on anyone else. He was done moping. Troy was going to make things right again. And he knew just who to turn to.

Troy found himself entering East High early in the morning, where the day began. Letting his legs guide him, Troy made his way towards the memorial. Troy stepped over to it quietly, facing Jason's picture. He knew that if he could count on anyone's help right now, it was Jason. Jason would always be so clueless when something big happened, having no idea what was going on. He was the class clown, the one that everyone could count on to break a serious moment even if no one wanted it. Troy sighed as he rubbed his arm.

"Hey Jay." he greeted quietly. "I know it's really early right now. I can picture you getting out of bed right now moaning and then being hit on the head by your alarm clock." Troy chuckled at his joke and then returned to his previous tone. "I need your help Jason. You're the only one who's not mad at me right now. And I messed everything up. I got mad at Chad for keeping a part of his life secret from me. For a few years at least he's been taking care of his son and I never knew Chad dated anyone else or anything. But then it turned out that it's not Chad's real son. So I got mad at him for lying about it and then kind of lying again." He stopped to picture Jason's reaction. Troy chuckled faintly at it, though not to be disrespectful. "Think you're confused now, wait until you hear what I did next. Gabs and I got into a fight and I got mad at her for taking Chad's side instead of mine. And then she asked what would happen if she kept secrets from me. So I blamed her secret keeping on Chad and...well, it didn't end pretty. Jay, I messed things up with Gabs and Chad and I don't know if anyone else would talk to me. I get the feeling that even when I try and talk to Ryan he tunes me out. I need help Jason. I don't know who else to turn to."

Troy looked down, wondering if this was worth it. Maybe Jason couldn't help. Maybe Troy was thinking too idealistically. He picked up his head and looked at Jason's picture. Now maybe it was Troy's imagination or just wishful thinking, but either way Troy could swear he heard Jason's voice.

"Jay?" he asked.

_"Dude what happened to the Troy I used to know?"_

"I'm still Troy. Don't you believe me?"

_"You don't need to act like a high and mighty guy just cause we're not in high school anymore. What happened over that summer at the country club?"_

"I know, I changed for the worst. But this time-"

_"This time, this time. It's always this time. C'mon man, we were all tight years ago. What happened Troy?"_

Troy paused. He couldn't answer because he had no answer. All he knew was that the gang grew apart. As a matter of fact, if Troy wasn't working at East High he'd only still be talking to Gabriella and Chad. And he knew Jason wouldn't want to see everyone fall apart from each other if he was still there.

"I wish I knew Jay. In almost ten years the only time we were together as a group was to visit you and come to the reunion."

_"It has to be fixed Troy. This is our extended family we're talking about. And one thing I actually learned from being up here is that if you don't know anyone around it can be pretty lonely. What about you?"_

"I guess I do feel kind of alone." Troy admitted. "Since graduation Chad and I never played ball with Zeke. Chad and I never went on any more double dates with Gabriella and Taylor. we never ate any of Zeke's pastries again. We never had any more parties together or anything." He sighed and looked at the ground again. "You're right Jay. We can't stay like this. We have to bring the group back together. We have to bring our family back together. And I'm gonna start with Gabriella." He picked his head up and looked at Jason. For the first time that week he smiled. "Thanks Jay. It's everything I needed to hear." He nodded a thank you and gently pat Jason's picture as though he were giving his old friend a pat on the back.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

That brings us back to the afternoon. Troy had only a few minor alterations to finish on the community theater but instead of working on that he was sitting at one of the seats scrolling through some kind of site on his laptop. It appeared as though he were shopping online, looking for something specific. Troy was completely lost in his thoughts, also mentally preparing himself to talk with Gabriella. He knew he would have to and he wanted to prove to her that nothing stood in the way of keeping the two of them in love and together. And he was hoping that it would work.

"Troy!"

A female's voice interrupted Troy's thoughts. He quickly moved the laptop cover down so the screen couldn't be viewed by others. He turned his head towards the back, where the entrance was, and saw Stella in the doorway.

"Stel, what are you doing here?" Troy asked with wide eyes.

Stella ran over to the front and stood in front of Troy. "We have to talk, Troy. Do you know that Gabriella's barely gone to work in the past week?"

"What?" Troy gasped.

"I'm worried about my cousin, and I know you are, too." Stella replied. "Why haven't you talked to her yet?"

Troy closed his mouth and was quiet for a minute. "I just had a lot of things on my mind."

"You can't ignore Gabriella forever. Look, there are some things she has to keep to herself." Stella said. "Gabriella told me you got mad at her because she was keeping something from you."

"Did she tell you what it was?" Troy wondered.

"Even if she did, she would be the one to have to tell you, not me." she shook her head. "Troy this is really eating up at her. Don't you understand that people keep secrets for reasons? It doesn't mean you have to go all-out on them. It's like gossip at school. It's a drug no one can put down. Secrets are spilled, relationships are destroyed, and friendships are torn apart. It's just like you and Gabriella. You guys are like high school."

Troy blinked and raised an eyebrow. "What's you say?"

"You two are like high school." she repeated.

Troy nearly froze in his seat. He remembered high school now. All the times he and Gabriella talked to each other. When Troy showed Gabriella his secret spot, he said that singing with her was like kindergarten. Gabriella said that being around Troy was like kindergarten. They were like kindergarten when they were in high school. And now out of high school and college, Troy and Gabriella were more like high school than anything else. There was drama beyond belief, there were arguments and secrets, there was gossip, and there was maturity. It was so much different from high school when they were kindergarten. They were pure and innocent. They were relaxed. They were new to everything. Now things were totally different.

Stella was right. If Troy and Gabriella weren't kindergarten then they were high school. It all brought him back to what Jason said, reminding him of how close everyone was back then. Now look at them. They all drifted apart and when at even one point it seemed like everything would be alright, they would float away from each other again. Was that really how everything was meant to be? If they got back together as a family again would they just drift apart in a manner of time? No. Troy couldn't think that. He knew now. He needed Gabriella. He needed his friends. He needed his family. They were more important than anything else. And if it was killing Jason to watch them go through it and not be able to do anything, then it had to hurt everyone knowing that they did hurt people so close to them.

"Troy?" Stella asked, concerned by the long silence.

Troy's head snapped towards Stella. He knew what to do now. "You know, for someone who reminds people of a little kid you are pretty smart." He smiled warmly, "Just like Gabriella."

"Wait a minute. What are you saying?" Stella wondered, even though a smile was forming widely across her face.

"I had a plan earlier to try and get Gabriella back. And now I know that no matter what I have to let her know what she means to me. I can't beat around the bush anymore, I can't keep putting everything off, and I can't let a stupid argument that was entirely my fault stand between us." Troy explained. "I'm going to make it up to Gabriella and I'm going to prove to her what she is to me. What she means to me."

"I'm liking where this is going." Stella grinned excitedly. "Keep talking!"

"I can't give everything away." Troy shook his head. "But now I know for sure what I have to do. I'm going to make things right. And I'm going to start with Gabriella. Then I'm going to make things right with Chad. And my friends need to get back together again, no matter where we are. I have to make things right for the better. So we can all be happy again." He smiled and held up a finger. "But I might need reinforcements at some point..."

Stella smiled and nodded. "If you do, then I've got a team of six ready to put in the effort." she agreed.

"Can you get them to come over today or tomorrow?" Troy asked. "I need help for phase one one of Operation: Reunite Wildcats."

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Taylor took in a deep breath as she knocked on Brian's door. She had received numerous calls and text messages from him but they were never returned. And she knew how unfair that was, especially if he needed help all that time. And she had to come clean about her and Chad. No matter what the outcome, the truth had to be out. Gripping her purse and biting her lower lip, Taylor awaited an answer. And with only one car in the driveway, Taylor was hoping that it meant only Brian was inside and the rest of his family was out. She stood her ground and nearly froze as the door slowly opened. Brian emerged and his eye fell on Taylor, giving out a sigh of relief.

"Taylor, you're here. I thought you..." he started.

"Brian, I'm so sorry I didn't return any of your messages." Taylor apologized. "There's been a lot going on and I thought you and Dylan needed the time alone."

Brian shot her a knowing look. "You were with Chad, huh?" he guessed.

"You could say that." Taylor nodded slowly. "But please, let me explain before you jump to conclusions..."

"Taylor I get it." he assured her. "He's your friend and you had to be there to comfort him in his time of need. But I also needed you hear because I needed help. And I wished that at least once you would have called back."

"I'm sorry. It was wrong and impolite." she apologized once more.

Brian sighed and nodded. "It's just me and Dill who are home now, so come on in." he offered. He stepped out of the way and she entered the house.

"Where is Dylan?" she wondered as she rested her purse on the nearby sofa.

"He's taking a nap upstairs in my room." Brian replied as he closed the door and walked over to Taylor. "How's Chad taking it? You know, that I'm Dill's...?"

"It's complicated." Taylor said as she heard his voice trail off. "I was with him twice last week showing him that just because he doesn't have Dylan anymore he's not on his own." She briefly twiddled her thumbs, "...And that's what I need to talk to you about. That's not all that happened."

Brian blinked. "Did you and he...you know, actually sleep together?" he asked.

"What?" Taylor gasped. "No, of course not." And there was no way she was going to tell him that they haven't done that since high school. "Something else happened. Chad and I...well, we kissed. Twice. In one day." She could see Brian opening his mouth to speak, but Taylor stopped him and continued rambling. "It's not entirely Chad's fault. The second time was all on me, and it was simultaneous the first time. And one day before that when I went to talk to him, we briefly kissed. But it wasn't as big as last week. It was a simple kiss and I stopped it before it went any further. But this last time...I didn't want it to stop. But I was disloyal and I'm sorry I did it. I'm sorry if I hurt you and I'm sorry for the mistake I made."

For a minute Brian just sat there in silence. Maybe it was because he didn't know how to respond or maybe it was because Taylor didn't give him a chance to speak yet. But he had to speak; he had to find the words to do so. Maybe he was a little mad, but he was a logical person. He was an English professor and he knew that anything that could happen in literature might as well happen in real life. There had to be a reason behind it, like everything else.

"I think I understand why you did kiss him." he finally spoke. "Chad was feeling alone and you kissed him to show that his friends would always be there. You felt sorry for him that he was so down."

"That's not completely..." she started, shaking her head.

"And maybe he wanted to kiss you and you let him so he could feel better. I could understand that." Brian continued. "If it were reversed, I probably would have let the same thing happen. I don't blame you and I don't put you at fault for the mistake."

And now Taylor was feeling completely awkward. Chad had called their kiss a mistake. She had told Brian the kiss was a mistake. Brian was saying the kiss was a mistake. There was just one problem: Taylor didn't believe any of it was a mistake. She was going to open her mouth to politely counter when she heard a much younger voice interrupted.

"Taylor!"

She turned her head to see an awake and now excited Dylan running down the stairs. A smile came on her face as she scooped him into her lap when he ran over. "Well, look who's back." she greeted with a smile.

"I missed you. You gotta see my new room here. It's way bigger than my old one!" Dylan exclaimed with a smile.

Brian smiled as he watched the two. "He really took a liking to you, huh?"

"Funny...Chad said the same thing." Taylor admitted, moving a strand of hair behind her ear. "How have you two been doing?"

"Getting a little better." Brian admitted. "You know, just a few bumps here and there." There was a long pause before he continued. "I've been telling Dylan how I wanna show him my real home, where I live. That I want my son there with me."

Taylor blinked. She looked down at the little boy. "And you said?"

"I asked if my not-dad was gonna say good-bye and if you could come." Dylan answered quietly.

"What?" she blinked again, this time out of shock.

"Taylor." Her head shot to Brian as he spoke again. "Dylan needs closure with Chad. He needs me. And I need him. I only know him a week but you have no idea how much I want him to know that I wanna make up for everything that I missed. How much I wanna prove that I'll be the best parent I can."

"Brian..." she started.

"But he needs more than me. You know that." Brian said seriously, looking into her eyes.

Taylor paused. She was almost afraid of where this was going. "What are you saying?" she inquired softly.

"He has me. He has his real father. And while Dill will never know his real mother, he takes to you like you were her. And he's so happy with you. I can't take my son home and leave you behind, even for a few months. I want this to be more than just a picture of a family, Taylor. I want this to be a real family. Our family. All three of us."

Taylor's heart picked up speed. She couldn't believe it. No, Brian was not.... He couldn't. Was he really going to...?

And then, just like that, Brain moved his position from the couch beside Taylor to nearly in front of her on one knee. He pulled out a ring from his jeans pocket. "I love my son. And I loved his mother. But now I can feel love again. And all that love is for you, Taylor. So I ask you...will you marry me?"

* * *

Wow, lot of stuff happening up there huh? We know what's going on in Troy's head, we get a surprise possible visit from Jason (who surprisingly for once didn't say something crazy at the wrong time), and now we got someone else other than Chad asking Taylor the big question. Oh man, so many questions now! So I'll ask them to you. What do you think is Troy's plan? What do you think he has in store for Gabriella? How will he make it up to everyone and get the gang back together for good? Is Dylan really going to move back with Brian? Is Taylor really going to say yes? I don't even know if you guys are at the edge of your seats or not! XD So, I'll see if I can get in another chapter tonight. If I can't tonight or tomorrow then I promise to get somehing in on Saturday before work. And now I say.... Hey wait a minute, what do I say? o_0 Uuuuuuuhhhhhhh.... Babaloo?


	20. Chapter 19

Intense chapter last time, huh? Well, I'm still at a loss of anything better to do so I'm just typing this one up. Now I'm wishing I had some kinda preview of this earlier so i could do coming soon attractions or something, but i guess the prologue could kinda be called a trailer or preview of the story, right? o_0 Eh, i'm confusing , you were left at a cliffhanger last chapter. The question is, how will it end this chapter? Well, at least one of the questions from the previous chapter will be answered. So since you're all dying to know (figuratively speaking of course) then let's move on with it. I started typing this last night, and i just finished it today before work. And if you don't mind me saying so, I love the reviews from the last chapter. I can almost picture everyone's reactions right now. XD Ok not really, i'm too scatterbrained at the moment. Trust me, you do not wanna know why.  
And yet again, HSM is not mine but i do plan on owning the third DVD soon. And i need to get the first one back from a friend. And I have all three games for Nintendo DS, and a calendar, and the CDs from the first and third movie, and some books, and the junior novels, and a shirt...ok you get the idea.

* * *

Taylor sat there on the couch frozen, staring at Brian blankly. Did he just ask her what she thought she asked him? Did he just pull out the big ring and pop the question? Was he even serious? No, this couldn't be happening. How long did she even know Brian for? They couldn't work it out this way, they just couldn't. It was too fast. It wasn't even a month yet, how could she accept? Though as reluctant as she was to admit it, Brian did bring up a point. Dylan needed a other and somehow he saw Taylor as that figure. Not like she was going to question it of course, after all it was flattering. But why couldn't she act as a mother and not be married to Brian? Ok it was time to narrow everything down, no matter how long it took. Taylor had to remain deep in thought about this.

The first step was to list the pros and cons of marry Brian. Pro: They both lived in the same area so it wouldn't be a long distance relationship. Pro: They both worked at the same school which also happened to pay them nicely, resulting in a healthy lifestyle. Pro: Dylan would be living with his real father and a woman he saw as his mother. Pro: Brian and Taylor were attracted to each other, and it wasn't an arranged marriage. Con: In retrospect, Taylor knew nothing about how Brian and Dylan were getting along, so how did she knew it would work out between the three of them or if someone would snap? Con: It would all be for the sake of the child so maybe in a way it was like an arranged marriage. Con: Accepting would be taking too big a step when their relationship was still so early. Con: Most importantly, would Taylor truly be marrying for love? Those were the main pros and cons that came to her mind, and at an even tie the decision would be that much more difficult. However there was that final con that kept repeating in her mind: would she be marrying for love?

The next step was to evaluate how she and Brian were doing as a couple so far, and comparing how ready they'd be for the next actual step in their relationship in comparison to skipping the next couple of steps and moving onto a wedding. As a whole, Taylor and Brian hadn't had any fights yet. On the other hand, only being in such a relationship in less than a month wouldn't give them enough time to have a serious fight to see if they were strong enough to withstand it. They seemed to get along perfectly with each other. Both had logical minds and were down to earth. Both were intelligent and serious. Both had similar morals. Both were happy seeing the other and (more or less in Taylor's case) committed to the relationship. But look at what they didn't have in common. Taylor was quick to jump to conclusions and at times could have quite the temper, though give off more of an icy or cold shoulder routine. Brian was more relaxed and didn't think the worst right away, more like giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Taylor had lied about her and Chad, that they were just friends and there was nothing more between them, or that nothing had ever happened with them. Brian seemed more honest, like he would only tell a minor white lie if he needed to. But what did Taylor really know about that anyway when she still barely knew the guy? Taylor was stubborn and refused to give into anything so easily. Brian at least tried to look at both sides of the coin or reverse the situation.

Then came deciding what she liked and disliked about Brian. She liked that he shared most of her qualities but that a few of them were opposing as well. She liked that they were often on the same page and shared similar ideas about different situations. She liked that he was passionate about his work and that he was a sweet and caring person instead of always being buried in it. She liked being with him and felt relaxed. Now what she didn't like about Brian.... Sometimes he seemed too serious, as though he weren't always in a joking mood. She didn't like that after the first couple of messages he left her that she didn't respond to, he sounded like he would call the police or act as though she were dead (or at least fearing the worst). She didn't like that he seemed the same every time she saw him, like there was barely a change in his emotions.

Now the next thing would be to question herself if she were ready for a wedding. Considering how fast this was speeding up, Taylor's answer would be no. She didn't even know if she was ready to settle down yet. Although, if it were with someone else then her opinion might be changed. Only thing was that Taylor couldn't think like that. Brian was asking her, not someone else. So would she be ready to settle down with Brian became the new question. She simply had no answer. Had she gone out with Brian longer, the question would receive an answer. But not this time.

So with those obstacles out of the way there was still one question remaining. It was the question that Taylor had been avoiding since she started figuring out what her answer would be. The answer to that question would determine her answer. An answer for an answer was the key. And once again the question rang through Taylor's mind. _Would she really be marrying Brian for love?_ That was the issue at hand. Taylor had insisted that the only reason she would marry would be for love. Granted she also desired to wait until the right time to settle down, but overall she would accept a ring for love. And that was the reason why she had not answered Brian's question yet, even as he sat there for the past five or so minutes staring at her and waiting as patiently as he could for her response. Maybe she should try it Brian's way and reverse the situation, see it as he did. Ok, so the reasons Brian was asking her then. First of all, he said he loved her. Second of all, he thinks it would be best for Dylan. Third, he obviously wants to continue seeing her.

Wait a minute.... Could that possibly mean that it was also a decoy to keep Taylor away from Chad? To keep her mind off of him? To mean she'd be Brian's only and no one else's? No, that couldn't be the case. It was a theory, but it couldn't be assumed right away. Besides, if Brian did think that then he would have had the ring sooner, wouldn't he? Unless he knew that Taylor had spent at least a couple of days with Chad after finding out at the hospital. But if he were spending all that time with Dylan then when would he find time to buy a ring? Oh man, this was too much pressure! Taylor didn't know how much more of this she could take. But Brian needed an answer and one way or another she couldn't stall much longer. She had to answer her own question and she had to answer it now.

_Did she love Brian?_ There was that question, numerous variations of it over and over again playing in her mind. If Taylor weren't frozen like a statue and holding Dylan in her lap she surely would have rubbed her head from a migraine. And no matter how long she was stalling, she couldn't stall forever. Taylor had to think of a way out of this and she had to do it quickly. So she closed her eyes, acting like she was finally taking in what was happening. But in reality, she was thinking about love. She tried picture the first thing that came to mind. And the first thing that came to mind was the first time she...well, had a little 'fun'. In actuality, she knew who her first time was with. But in her head the person that she pictured having it with was like a blur. She could barely see anything about him except his height, which made it just as difficult to decipher with Brian and Chad being about the same height. And the figure in her head had a combination of Brian's and Chad's voices so it was still hard to see who it was. But she had to think. She had to think harder.

_It started out as a simple light make out fest on Taylor's bed. He was on top of her, only his shirt removed. Every other article of clothing remained on their bodies, though the top buttons on her sweater vest were all unbuttoned. But him on top of her, it felt so right. She was at home and she was comfortable. If the pair hadn't needed to come up for air then the kissing would have continued. But he slowly pulled away, breathing heavily with a smile on his face as there was with her. He slowly sat up and she mirrored his actions, sitting in front of him with their eyes locking._

_He stared right into her eyes, nothing but a smile on his face. He seemed on cloud nine, like he was the luckiest, happiest guy on the planet. "I love you." he confessed._

_Taylor smiled softly at his confession. She was so relieved he had felt the same way as her. After holding it in for so long and keeping it to herself, even trying to deny those feelings, she could now come clean and return that love he had for her and their relationship could grow. "I love you, too." she said._

_And the couple stared happily at each other before sharing a soft and gentle kiss. "I want to prove to you how much I love you." he admitted once the kiss was broken. "I know there are other ways, and you don't have to do this if you don't want to. But I want to show you somehow how I feel, that this is real."_

_Taylor knew what he was talking about. And with him being the first guy she had true feelings for, it was something that never crossed her mind. She was originally planning on saving herself for marriage in such a case. But she certainly didn't want to turn him down either. The question was if she was ready for it, if she was willing to do it. And somehow, it didn't even take five minutes for Taylor to give her answer._

_"I wouldn't want anyone else to take that away from me." she smiled, and he knew what she was referring to._

_"You sure you want to?" he asked calmly, not wanting it to get too far before she changed her mind. He refused to hurt Taylor; he wanted to be sure that this was what she wanted. What they wanted._

_Taylor nodded in response. "I'm sure."_

_Slowly but surely, he gently lay on top of her again and it all started. It started as slowly and gently kissing and everything was done calmly. There was no roughage, no rushing. It was as gentle as love itself. Her sweater vest was discarded first, though the t-shirt underneath remained on for longer. Taylor could feel one of his hands lift her head up and hold it from behind, her hair covering his hand. She smiled into the kiss and her arms went around him, avoiding his hair for the purposes of this combination of flashback and current vision. Eventually their hands roamed each others' bodies and the only time he pulled away was to make sure that she was ok and to move from one part of her body to the next, though mainly staying above her chest. His hands, likewise, felt numerous parts of her body never just staying close to one area. His touch was gentle and she could feel sweat dropping from him onto her, though the sweat could also have come from the heater in the bedroom. Their bodies did as the other begged and moved when necessary. And everything about it felt perfect. Like he really understood her. Like he knew everything about her. Like he truly loved her. Almost like he knew her their whole lives._

_Finally, everything died down and the final kiss was slowly and reluctantly broken. He lay on top of her, his forehead against hers. Taylor smiled at the bangs she felt against her own. Her vision started to clear of the boy and the hair from him she now felt on her head was recognizable. It was the hair that she always loved so much. Taylor smiled at the sight and the remainder of the vision slowly cleared and she could see perfectly who it was._

Taylor's eyes finally opened and they fell on Brian. He awaited her answer still, and while his eyes were also filled with concern on why she didn't give an answer in so long they were also felt with hope and compassion. And as much as she didn't want to, Taylor was ready to give him her response.

"Brian I really like you. A lot." she finally spoke. "And what we've had together so far has been amazing. You've given me something to look forward to everyday and you've given me someone who actually sees things the way that I do. You don't know how happy and grateful I am for that." She took a pause, knowing that what she was going to say next was going to bring it all together. "But this is too fast. I know what you're thinking in asking me that and I'm flattered. I understand where you're coming from, but I honestly can't go through with it." She took one final deep breath before bringing it down, "And I can't love you the way you love me. I can't accept the ring or your proposal." Throughout the entire time her voice was soft, polite, and gentle. There was an apologetic tone in it as well, but Brian could see right through it.

"So there's another guy huh?" he guessed.

"Kind of." Taylor admitted. "And I don't know if I'm setting myself up for a fairy tale or a natural disaster by going back to him, but I've got to follow my heart." She slowly put Dylan down and made her way to the door.

"Taylor." Brian said simply, his voice stopping her from moving any further. "You know Dylan will never find a mother like you. It'll be hard for him to see you when you're so far away. And I'm not going to completely enjoy it either, whether we're a couple or not."

"I appreciate that Brian, believe me." Taylor nodded. She slowly turned back to the boys. "But Dylan had a mother. And I know you loved her dearly. No one can ever replace her. But I'm am glad that you consider me a mother figure to Dylan and are insinuating that even if his birth mother isn't still around, he still has one."

Brian walked over to Taylor. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to Taylor. "In there is a copied section from my will." he explained. "I want you to give it to Chad. You're going to see him aren't you?"

Taylor blinked. Then again, she shouldn't be surprised that he saw through her so easily. "What's it for?" she wondered.

"As of right now, I need Chad's agreement on that. I'm thankful for him bringing up Dylan and I know he did a good job." he explained. "And he's been like a second father to Dylan, or at least his first. And if it weren't for him, I never would have found my son or knew that he was alive. As soon as I heard that his mother died in labor, I hung my head in sadness and left. What I didn't know was that she did survive labor, just long enough to deliver Dylan. And if I knew then I would have stayed. But this shows that if anything happens to me, then Chad becomes Dill's new guardian. So will you give that to him and find out if he agrees to it?"

Taylor didn't even need to be asked. She wasn't going to say that Brian's story wasn't touching and that she felt nothing from hearing it. But she was going to say that she would be happy to do anything for them as long as everyone would be happy. After all that happened, that's really all they needed.

"You know, when Chad told me he wasn't Dylan's real father I didn't believe him." she admitted. "He said how guilty he felt every time Dylan called him his father because Chad knew how untrue it was and how much it hurt, especially when no one else knew about him. And then I told Chad that Dylan had respect for him. That Chad treated Dylan as though he were his real son and they acted as though they were related. Either you or Chad could say you're Dylan's father. But who that position really belongs to should be up to Dylan. So I'll run this by him. But I can't promise any answers right away."

"I understand." Brian nodded. He looked down at Dylan, who was now walking over to them.

"Does this mean you're leaving?" he asked sadly.

Taylor's expression fell as she knelt down to Dylan. "Just for now. But you know you are going to leave with your father to go to your new home before the summer is over."

Oh man, the summer! technically Dylan didn't finish his school year yet. What would his teachers say? Were they already contacted of the family dilemma? Taylor had to be sure to bring that up to Chad when she spoke to him.

"So does that mean you're not gonna be my mom?" Dylan asked.

Taylor was caught off guard by his question. He seemed confused enough when she had referred to his father, almost as though Dylan didn't know who she was talking about. But was he really asking that now? Was he asking Taylor to be his mother? The poor boy was so naive, he didn't even realize how it worked. But she couldn't give a straight answer. At least not yet. She didn't know how to answer.

"I don't know yet." she admitted. "Let's take care of one thing at a time, ok?"

"Ok." he reluctantly agreed. He looked at her once more, as though he were pleading to be held. Taylor smiled softly and gave in, pulling Dylan in for a gentle hug. He rested his head on her in the embrace, looking more than comfortable.

"I'm going to let you go now, ok?" Taylor asked a minute or so later. "I have to get going."

Dylan nodded and slowly pulled away as Taylor took her arms off of him. She smiled at the nine-year-old and softly pecked him on the head. She smiled at him and Dylan seemed more content and relaxed. Taylor stood up and faced Brian. "I should get going now."

"I guess so." he nodded, hands in his pockets. "Good-bye hug?"

"You really think we're not seeing each other after this?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean as a boyfriend and girlfriend thing." Brian answered.

Taylor nodded in agreement, understanding. The two shared a brief yet gentle hug. Taylor pulled out of it, feeling much better about the decision she made. So now that that was taken care of, there was someplace else she had to go.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Less than an hour later Taylor was at Chad's doorstep. She paused and stood still for a minute, trying to figure out where to start. What to say. She was hoping he was home anyway. She looked at the driveway' there was a car there, which had to be Chad's. Turning back to the door, Taylor stared at it for another minute. Normally she wasn't a nervous person. Perhaps a stressed person, but most often not nervous. However this was her exception. Now she had a reason to be nervous. She was trying to figure out how Chad would react, what he would say. Maybe she should present everything in a specific order. Yeah, that might work. It would mean beating around the bush a bit but when didn't everyone do that at least once? Taking in a deep breath, she finally lifted her hand and knocked on the door.

A minute or so later, Taylor could hear footsteps approaching the door. She bit her tongue and forced herself to hold her ground even as the doorknob turned. The door slowly opened and there was Chad. He looked like he had just woken up or something, because his hair was a bit more out of place than usual and he wore nothing but a pair of sweatpants, despite the light heat wave for the day, and what looked like a wifebeater. Yup, he had definitely just woken up.

Chad blinked and rubbed his eye to make sure he wasn't still sleeping. "Taylor...what are you doing here?" he wondered almost softly.

It was now or never. "Can I talk to you?" she asked.

Chad paused. He knew this wasn't going in his direction and quite frankly he didn't want to hear about it. He knew it was something he didn't want to hear about. "Well, I was kinda..." Chad started, trying to figure out how to get her to leave.

But Taylor didn't give him that chance. "I need to talk to you."

Chad held his ground and gave a nod, knowing there was no other choice. "Sure." he reluctantly agreed, opening the door further so she could enter. He closed the door once Taylor was inside and pulled up his pants a little so they wouldn't threaten to fall.

Taylor had taken a few steps towards the couch, facing its backside. Where to start, where to start? She finally turned to Chad slowly. "You do know that Dylan hasn't been in school for pretty much a week now, right?" she inquired, starting off simply.

Chad looked down and nodded. "Yeah well...all I did was inform the school that he might be moving and he's having some family issues so he might not be in school for the last week or two."

"About that..." Taylor started. She saw Chad's head shot up in her direction. She waited a minute before giving him the four-one-one. "...Brian's planning on taking Dylan back home with him. To Oxford. Where they can be a real family."

Chad blinked. "What?" he asked doubtfully. "But...isn't that kinda far?"

Taylor nodded. "Yeah. He wants what's best for Dylan and he wants him to live at home with him."

Chad was silent for a minute. Taylor couldn't even read his actions. Was he upset? Depressed? Angry? Annoyed? Anything? The only thing she was sure of was that he was doubtful. And she couldn't blame him. Chad was probably wondering now how he would say good-bye to Dylan and if they would keep in contact at all, if it meant they weren't a family anymore. And that's exactly what Chad was thinking. He never expected to hear that. Sure he knew Brian worked in the same school as Taylor so they had to live in the same neighborhood or something, but he never would have suspected that Brian would willingly take Dill back there. What about what Chad thought? Didn't his feelings matter?

Chad finally sighed as he let it all sink in. "Well I guess that's the best for Dill. He needs to be with his dad."

"Are you sure you'd be alright with that?" she asked softly.

Chad shook his head and looked away. "No." he admitted. "But it's not my say where they live. I have nothing to do with them. Brian's Dylan's father so it's up to him. Whatever he thinks is best for Dylan."

Taylor was silent. She knew that even if he couldn't fully show it, Chad was hurting inside. She wanted to make that hurt go away. And she was hoping that the next part would help. She handed him an envelope, the one Brian gave her.

Chad raised an eyebrow as he took it. "What's this?" he asked.

"It's a copy of a section from Brian's will that he needs your agreement on." she explained. "If anything happens to him then you'd become Dylan's guardian again. Brian trusts you with his son and he's grateful for you raising him for him. He knows Dylan will be safe with you."

Chad read the copy over and listened to Taylor. When all was said and done he shook his head. "I can't do it." he said quietly. "There's no way Dill would agree to it. It should be up to him, not me."

Taylor looked at him sadly. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Chad so down. Was he really that depressed over the boy he called son? She stepped closer to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, looking up at him in the eyes. "You're right. It should be up to Dylan. He should be deciding who he wants to live with, not you or Brian no matter who his father is. But that doesn't mean you can turn this down. Even if it wasn't the real thing or for his whole life, at least for a period of time you were Dylan's father. And if you don't agree to this then what if he goes to someone who he doesn't know or trust? And I know that even if he doesn't trust you as much as he did before right now, he'd choose you over someone he never knew."

"You really think that?" he asked.

"I know he would." Taylor replied seriously. "Just give it a chance, Chad. For Dylan."

Chad's eyes met with Taylor's as he finally nodded. "Ok. For Dill." he agreed. "Thanks for coming to tell me, Tay."

"You're welcome." Taylor replied. So now that was taken care of. She had to move on with it, not once taking her eyes off of him. She had to tell him what else happened when she saw Brian.

"I'm gonna head back upstairs. I still have a few more z's to catch." Chad finally said as he headed for the staircase.

"There's something else." Taylor said quickly as Chad touched the first step.

Chad turned to Taylor and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Taylor paused for a minute, trying to figure out how to word it. She had to say it gently, but hope he didn't jump to conclusions right away. "Brian asked me."

Chad blinked, confused. "Brian asked you what?"

"You know..." How was she going to make him understand. "He _asked_ me."

And somehow, Chad understood what she meant. Brian had popped the question to Taylor. Chad's heart sank, knowing she must have accepted. So many thoughts ran through his head now. Taylor would move back with Brian and they'd raise Dylan together. They'd go to work together and bring up children of their own. And Chad would never see her again. Either of them again. It was like he meant nothing now, like he really had nothing left even after Taylor said he'd still have her. But Chad couldn't believe that now. All he could do was just show his support and try his best to hide his disappointment.

"Well I guess congrats are in order then Tay." Chad finally said, holding in a sigh. "You must be really happy."

Oh no, Chad didn't get it! He didn't know that Taylor had said no. Didn't he see that there was no ring on her finger? "Chad..." she started.

"No, it's ok." he shook his head. "I get it. You need to be happy and Brian does that for you. Look, nothing happened between us. We were never anything. I'm not going to destroy your relationship when you're so happy. I'm not destroying your dreams Tay. This is what you want and I'm gonna back it up. So you don't have to tell me anything or whatever. I get it. We just had a trip down memory lane and nothing else. There was never anything serious about us." Chad took a long pause and looked at Taylor. He wanted to get out of there before his emotions could get out. He finally let it sink in that it meant he was losing the girl of his dreams and he didn't want Taylor to see that. "I'm just glad you're happy." he finished before starting upstairs again.

Taylor shook her head as Chad left. No, he wasn't walking out of her life. That's not what she wanted. She couldn't lose him again. She had to get him to stay! "I said no!" she blurt out.

Chad stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly stepped backwards down the stairs and turned back to Taylor cautiously. "What did you say?"

Taylor took a deep breath. "I said no."

"Why?" Chad asked. "I thought you and he-"

"We were dating. We were together." Taylor replied. "But I said no. What part of that don't you understand?"

"The no part." Chad said. "I don't get why you said it."

"Because I want to marry for love. And I don't love Brian the way he loves me." Taylor explained. She took a deep breath and a long pause. "I turned him down because I love someone else."

That hit Chad like a few thousand bricks. So that was why Taylor said no. She had her eye on someone else. It was probably someone back around Oxford or something. He had no chance now. There was no hope. "Well I really hope you find him and tell him Tay. He'll be a lucky guy."

Now Taylor's heart was the one who sunk. Chad didn't understand did he? How was she going to get through to him? Would he even feel the same way? "I already found him."

Chad nodded. Well, as long as Taylor was happy maybe it wasn't a total loss. He'd miss out on his chance but someone else hit the jackpot. "So who's the lucky guy?" he finally willed himself to ask.

_Please don't let me make a mistake._ Taylor pleaded n her mind as she walked over to Chad. She couldn't risk anything between them now, but he had to know. She had to tell him how she felt. Even if he didn't feel the same way, the truth had to come out. She stopped a few inches in front of Chad and paused for a minute, doing nothing but looking him in the eyes. She couldn't decipher the exact emotion in Chad's. They looked confused, but she could swear that maybe there was some hurt in them as well. So finally, after convincing herself that she had to do it no matter what, she pushed herself up to his level, standing on her tiptoes, and gently kissed him on the lips for a split second. "You." she whispered.

Chad's eyes widened as he froze where he was. There was no way. She did not just say that. Was she really talking about him? Him, Chad Danforth? The one who had insinuated they should break up in the first place before college? The one who never understood a word she said? The one who always messed everything up? No, she couldn't be talking about him. And this would have been the point where Chad admitted that he felt the same way about her, that he felt bad about every breaking up with her and he wanted them to be together again forever. But he couldn't bring himself to say it. Maybe it was because he was in so much shock from what Taylor said. He just couldn't believe that this was real. Was he dreaming? Maybe he should pinch himself.

But Taylor took his silence as a rejection. So she had made a mistake by telling him. And now she wasn't sure how much longer she could face him, if she could handle hearing Chad say he didn't love her back. Taylor opened her mouth to speak, to say anything, but nothing came out. She just shook her head and spun on her heel, practically rushing towards the door. She didn't want Chad seeing her heartbroken.

"Tay wait!" Chad gasped, watching her get ready to leave. He couldn't let her go. Not again. He ran over to her and gently grabbed her by the arm. Taylor tried to keep her head turned away, not wanting to face him. But Chad wouldn't let her. He had to prove to her that he felt the same way, that he loved her just as much as she did him. So once he finally got Taylor to face him, he pulled her in for a kiss. Just as soft as the first one, but filled with nothing but passion. He slowly pulled back, barely giving her any chances to respond.

"I don't think I'd want it any other way." he confessed quietly. "I can't see you love someone else, Taylor. Beause I never stopped loving you."

Taylor blinked back tears. Man it sounded so sweet to hear him say something like that again! "I said that you still had me even if you lost everything else Chad, and I meant it." she said honestly. "And I'm here if you want me."

"I do want you." Chad whispered.

"And I want you." Taylor whispered back.

Chad held out his arms and Taylor returned his hug, the two acting like they'd never let go of each other. Taylor rested her head on Chad's shoulder and her head nuzzled up against his neck, while Chad rested his head on top of Taylor's and his arms were tight around her. They took in each others' scent and stayed in each others' arms as though they didn't belong anywhere else. They slowly picked up their heads to looked at each other and smiled. The pair slowly started to lean in, their faces less than a few inches apart.

"Ok, there goes my lunch."

Taylor and Chad backed away from each other to see Sharon in the doorway with a disturbed look. The teen rolled her eyes at the couple.

"Forget it, just call me down when the Make Our Fiesta is over. I'm locking myself in the bathroom." Sharon said as she headed up the stairs.

Chad and Taylor stared at her as she left and then turned to look at each other. They couldn't help but laugh lightly. Hey at least the moment was interrupted before it got too far. So now they really could pick up where they left off. They enveloped each other in a hug again and shared another kiss as it steadily turned into something more.

Things were finally starting to turn around.

* * *

Ok I know what you all are thinking. When Taylor declined you were all cheering in your heads, weren't you? And with that moment between her and Dylan you were going "awwww" or something, weren't you? Yeah, it was kinda that moment. I was thinking that, too. C= And for those of you who were hoping for more mushy action or something, it ain't gonna happen. I don't watch that stuff, i don't type it in detail, and i know pretty much squat about it. I think? Yeah, something like that. Aynway this was a pretty long and eventful chapter and it's all I've got time for tonight. I'll see what i can get in tomorrow between my dr's appointment and work. -_- Neither are fun, lemme tell you. So what else do I have to say down here? Well, I guess nothing I can think of off the top of my head. But all you C&T fans out there reading, I really hope you enjoyed this one. You gotta love these mushy moments. XD


	21. Chapter 20

Ok so this is the next chapter. I do not think I'll have a chance to add any chapters after this today. Now yesterday was torture. As soon as i got home from work I just fell asleep. And I didn't wake up till eleven today so that also meant I had an excuse to miss my doctor's appointment. XD Don't you just love it when that happens, like you know you have to go somewhere the next day but then you miss it without expecting to miss it? Anyway I should probably shut up and move on. There seemed to be good responses to this story and I'm really happy about that. I'd say this definitely turned out better than my first story. ^^ So, after saying I don't own HSM I will say thank you to the reviews. Oh wait, that would be now. XD So thank you digigirl02, Always-Here-Imani, ChaylorTwilightQueen10 (also for sharing your idea for an earlier chapter), lilmissmonique, suckmyanarchy, creativelyyours, RamandusDaughter, and 1angelette (as for the punctuation, I promise to fix it when I get a chance).

* * *

"Ok troops, we have a lot of work ahead of us." Troy announced the next day as he paced back and forth, almost in a general-like manner, in front of the stage of the community theater. "I want everything to be perfectly set up today and then no matter how late it is, I want this to work out. We have to get this done by tonight, if possible. From there we can play it by ear. But we all know the plan. We know what has to be done. And we know that one way or another we're all in this together."

Troy stopped pacing and stood in the center, facing each of the "troops" in front of him. They were nothing more than five of East High's seniors, and conveniently all Sharpay's chorus students. Each one had a different expression on their face. Johnny was raising an eyebrow from confusion the whole time, losing Troy from the first sentence. Sharon held a clipboard and had a minor bored look. Marco had been listening intently and nodding once in a while. Charlotte looked rather excited and content. And Stella had a grin on her face the whole time, more than ready to help out.

"Ok, so are there any questions?" Troy asked, eying each one.

Sharon took the chance to speak up and held a pen close to the clipboard, ready to write everything down. "We're getting started at three-thirty now and we're going to need to take a dinner break, not to mention possible a snack break. So when are you giving us those, Troy? And how to you expect us to get finished before midnight even if it is Friday? And one more thing, why have us help you when you've got your own friends for this?"

One thing Troy disliked so much was Sharon's attitude. She had to act like she thought of everything. "Well if you don't wanna be here then leave."

"Believe me, here is way better than at the house." she rolled her eyes.

"But your house is so much fun." the blond stated. "We were playing DDR a few weeks ago in your room, how do you call that not fun?"

Sharon turned to Charlotte. "No, the question is how do you deal with not finding the fun in something?"

Marco snapped his fingers in front of the girls, knowing Sharon would be the one to turn it into an argument instead of a discussion. "Guys, we have other things to think about. Mr. Troy called us here for a reason so we have to listen to him." He signaled towards Troy, knowing a couple of the questions technically had to be answered.

Troy saw that and nodded as he rubbed his chin. "Ok, there's a 711 down the road. Figure in about an hour one of you can go there and pick up a couple of drinks and snacks. We'll take a fifteen and then stop again around seven-ish for dinner." He folded his arms and eyed Sharon. "As for that last question, I have the right to not give an answer."

"So when do we start, boss-man?" Johnny asked.

"You guys start taking the boxes from my truck and bring them in here. Make sure to separate each of them my category." Troy instructed. "Decorations together, music items together, lighted objects together, etc." He then snapped his fingers at Stella. "Stel, I need you to help me go over everything and make sure they were all right. As soon as that part's done we can move onto phase two. I'll give out further instructions when we're ready. So let's break and get this thing started."

And with Troy as the leader and instructing everything, the current Wildcats got to work right away. Stella walked behind Troy as he headed to a back room, apparently checking for something. Stella took that chance to make sure Troy had everything right as far as Gabriella was considered. She knew that Troy was more worried about her than any of his other friends and he desperately wanted to make things right with her.

"Ok, you have Gabriella's favorite flower?" Stella asked.

"I have an order placed in for a bouquet of lilies." Troy responded.

"Good." Stella nodded. "Her favorite color?"

"I've got plenty of red decorations in the boxes."

"Her favorite song?"

"'Start of Something New'."

"Her favorite jewel?"

"Right here." Troy smiled as he pulled out a couple of cases. He opened one of them to reveal a stunning sapphire broach. "Think Gabs will like it?"

"I'm sure she'll love it." Stella supported. "Just don't rush from one thing to the next so quickly ok? We can't catch her off guard and we don't want to freak her out."

"Of course not." Troy shook his head. "I'm just wondering if there's an easier way to do this."

"How so?" Stella inquired.

"What if you took the broach to her, extended it as an invitation to come here for the next thing?" Troy asked.

"You know I can't do that." she sighed. "It would feel more like a bribe even if she has to come here one way or another."

"Ok so what would you do?" Troy asked, wanting another opinion.

"I would follow my heart and do what I think is best." she answered simply. "Gabriella isn't high maintananced and she doesn't need anything too extravagant, you know that. Whatever you do for her, as long as it comes from the heart and it shows her you care than she'll be happy."

"Yeah, you're right." Troy realized. "I have to make this work. And I'm gonna need more reinforcements."

"What do you mean?" Stella inquired.

Troy pulled out his cell phone and started dialing. "I'm gonna need a couple of minutes."

And Stella took that as her cue to leave. It looked like Troy would be taking a little detour with his plan.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"So remind me again why we're having lunch together at three-thirty in the afternoon?" Taylor inquired as she sat across from Chad at a restaurant.

"Why _not_ have lunch at three-thirty?" Chad joked.

Taylor giggled, happy to see his sense of humor again. "No, really."

"Cause it was the only time I could get some kind of break from work. And I wanted to spend it with you." Chad admitted.

"That is so sweet." Taylor smiled. "But we could spend time at your house later."

"Someone's being naughty." Chad teased.

Taylor playfully smacked him on the arm from across the table. "Don't flatter yourself just yet Danforth."

"Yet is the key word there, McKessie." Chad replied. He grinned as he saw their food arrive from the corner of his eye. He started digging into it right away.

"Table manners Chad." Taylor scolded him. "We're in public, not your place."

Chad looked up at her from his food. "So now my cooking's bad, is that what you're saying?" he asked after swallowing his food.

"You know that's not-" she started, though a ring tone cut her off.

Chad sighed and pulled out his phone. "It's Troy." he said, noticing the caller ID.

"Take the call." Taylor said. "You know you two have to work everything out."

"Yeah but-" he started.

"I know it has to be hard with you guys right now." she interrupted. "But that doesn't mean you have to ignore him forever. At least see what he has to say."

Chad sighed and nodded. "Ok." he agreed. On the third ring, Chad forced himself to answer the phone. "Hey Troy."

"Hey man. You got a minute?" Troy asked.

"Not that long a minute. I'm with someone." Chad answered.

"Look this is important." Troy sighed. "I wanna make things right again. I overreacted about everything and then I took your secret out on Gabriella, finding out that she had a secret from me. And I don't just wanna make things right with her again. I wanna make tings right with us. With the gang. Look dude, you and I are still brothers no matter how much we fight. We can't stay like this forever. So I'm asking you, not as a friend but as a brother, can you help me make things right with everyone?"

"I don't know man." Chad shrugged. "I made things right with at least one person already."

"Then make things right with another person." Troy suggested. "Please man, I have help right now but I can't just do it with them like on my own. I can't co-captain on my own."

Chad smiled slightly. "Well we did rely on each other when it mattered didn't we?" he asked. "_Maybe_ we can work something out. Where are you?"

"Community theater." Troy answered.

"Give me ten." Chad answered. "See you soon." he hung up his phone and turned back to Taylor.

"Sounds like you worked things out." she noted with a smile.

"Yeah. I think we did." Chad nodded. "But I told him..."

"It's ok." she said. "You can go."

"But what about lunch?" Chad asked.

"I'll pay for everything. You can pay me back later." Taylor suggested.

Chad smiled. "Let me know what I owe you."

"I'll be sure to let you know." she replied, playfully winking.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Eleven at night. That was how long it took to get everything together. The theater was all set up. Banners hung across the room. Numerous tunes of music were playing in the background. Troy was making sure everything - including himself looked perfect. Behind him stood Stella and Chad, watching him carefully.

"How's everything going out there?" Troy asked nervously.

"Everything's all set Troy. I called Gabriella and she's on her way. I asked her to get a hold of Mrs. Baylor so she and Zeke could come. I'm hoping that it means they call Mr. Ryan, too." Stella said.

"You do know Sharpay isn't married yet right?" Chad asked Stella.

Troy rolled his eyes. "And on your end man?" he asked Chad.

"I already called Ryan and Zeke. Well, texted them anyway. I think they're coming. I told them it was important and that everyone should be here. Ryan said he'd get Kelsi and see if she could join us on video chat." Chad explained. "And I called Taylor. She'll be here soon."

"Awesome." Troy nodded. He turned to face the two of them. "How do I look?"

"You look fine." Stella assured him, referring to what looked like a casual tux. Hey, it was the best Troy could find on such short notice and he wanted to look his best. "Gabriella's going to love you after this." She left the back room to go check on everyone else.

Troy turned to Chad once Stella was gone. "You don't know how much it means to me that you're here man." he said. "I owe you big time."

"We are brothers." Chad shrugged. "We couldn't fight forever."

Troy nodded. "I am sorry about snapping at you. You had a lot on your plate all that time and I should've been more supportive. And I can't be an Uncle Troy if..."

"You can't be an Uncle Troy, period." Chad sighed. "Dill found his real father. I'm not holding custody of him anymore."

"What?" Troy gasped. "What happened?"

"Long story." he shook his head. "Let's just say he had a little help. And if I didn't say I wasn't Dill's real father in front of him..."

"I helped you drive him away didn't I?" Troy asked.

"Not completely. He would have found out sooner or later, thanks to Taylor." Chad replied.

"Something I should know about?" Troy teased.

Chad chuckled. "Her boyfriend was Dylan's dad. So now those two are together again and me and Tay..."

"Everything's working out for you man." Troy grinned, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Way to go."

"Thanks." he replied with a small smile. "But now it's time for you to make things right with your girl."

"You're right. So let's cross our fingers." Troy said hopefully.

"Go get her man." Chad smiled. He felt his friend and headed out of the room. Everything was set up perfectly. Decorations were all over, there were tunes from everyone's favorite songs and such, and everyone was together. Johnny had his camcorder at hand recording almost everything. Sharon and Charlotte were managing the music, ready to switch CD's or go to radio stations as they stood by the boom box. Marco was managing everything else, working some lights in the back per Troy's request. Sharpay and Zeke were together talking and Ryan was trying to hook up with Kelsi via video chat. Gabriella was with Taylor and the two were chatting. Chad smiled as he stayed where he was, figuring it would be bad to interrupt. Besides, Troy would be out any minute.

"Excuse me, excuse me please?" Troy's voice began echoing through the room. Everyone turned their heads to see Troy on stage. "Lights please?" Troy asked, and then on cue a gentle spotlight shone on Troy. everyone turned their heads to see him, knowing something was going on. Ryan got Kelsi online just in time and now the two were facing Troy along with everyone else, waiting for his announcement.

Troy took a deep breath as he began. "We have all been close the last couple of years of high school. Everything was going perfect with all of us. We were the happiest we've ever been. So what happened to us? Look at where we are now. We're not the same family we used to be. And it hurts. It hurts me and I know that deep down it hurts you guys, too. And we're not the only ones it hurts." He took a pause and looked around. He saw Stella who nodded, urging him to continue. She was probably the only one who knew how it was going to end. Troy took a deep breath and continued. "I went to see Jason the other day. And he saw what happened with all of us. How we're so spread out and what we're all doing. It's not the same as it used to be and it's tearing him up inside. He doesn't like seeing us this way. No matter how happy we may look on the outside he sees how depressed we are on the inside. Everything has to be made right."

Troy caught the eyes of Sharpay and Zeke. "We have to be there for each other. Sharpay and Zeke are gonna need us in a matter of time because it won't be the happiest occasion if their whole family isn't there. If they even want us there. We need to be there for them. And we can't be there for them if we're not together. We all have to be there to celebrate their occasion. That's what families do. They argue, they spend time together, and they're always there for each other. We've been there for each other for so long. But just because we've gone in separate directions doesn't mean it has to stay that way. And I don't want it to. I've finally made things right with my best friend after messing everything up. And now it's time to make things right with everyone else. It's time to bring us back together and keep that promise to Jason. That we'd always be together no matter what, that we'd always have each other as an extended family."

"We do have each other." Ryan said. "Even if we all haven't had each other I think one way or another we've been there for each other. When Sharpay and Zeke first got engaged only you and me knew about it, Troy. But deep down I think it got from one of us to another involuntarily even if we didn't know it or admit it. Through you Gabriella knew and through her Taylor knew. Through you Chad knew. Through me Kelsi knew. We all knew somehow. We were all still together one way or another."

"I think we all needed to hear that." Troy grinned. "Thanks Ry."

"So you organized this whole thing for our family?" Sharpay asked. "Bolton, what has been going on inside that brain of yours?"

Troy chuckled. "A lot of things, actually. And there is one thing I've been thinking more than everyone else." He locked eyes with Gabriella and slowly stepped down from the stage. The girls carefully turned the song to Gabriella's favorite and let the lyrics play softly in the background. "Gabriella, I was the worst possible person to snap at you the way I did. It was wrong and stupid. Not only did I lose my best friend but I lost you arguing about him and his life. It wasn't any of my business to butt in and I never should have. Gabs, you have every right to keep anything you want from me. I don't have to know everything that goes on in your life. As much as I'd love to hear it, if you're not comfortable sharing it then you don't have to. Any secrets you have, you can keep as long as you want. And I'm here tonight to prove to you how sorry I am." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the case. He opened it, revealing the broach he had shown to Stella earlier. "I know how much you love sapphires. And I got this for you. As a token of my apology and show you how much I really do care about you. I'll be there for you no matter what."

Gabriella blinked back tears as she looked at Troy happily. "Troy...I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll take it?" Troy asked hopefully.

It didn't even look like Gabriella needed another minute to think. She was ready to answer Troy. What he had done was so sweet. He tried to get everyone back together and make everything up to them. That was good enough for her. "I'd love to."

Everyone began cheering as she and Troy shared a hug and Gabriella placed the broach on her shirt. She smiled at Troy and they had a quite passionate kiss. But the moment didn't last too long.

"There's one more thing." Troy admitted.

"Yes there is." Gabriella nodded.

They both took a deep breath. "I have to tell you..." they started at the same time.

"May I?" Troy asked.

"Of course." Gabriella nodded. Her secret could wait one more minute.

"I really am sorry. I want to prove to you that even if we start arguing a lot I'll always be there for you. I wanna be with you always and I never wanna hurt you again. You mean the world to me Gabs. And I never wanna mess anything up again. So I'm proving to you that my love is real and nothing is ever going to change that." So he pulled out the case from his other pants pocket and pulled a ring out from it. "Gabriella, I ask you this in front of our whole family, so they can always be there for us just like they will be for Sharpay and Zeke. We'll be there for them and they'll be there for us. And I don't want it any other way. And I don't want to love anyone else the way I love you. So I ask you now Gabriella Montez...will you marry me?"

There was silence in the room. They awaited Gabriella's answer anxiously. Gabriella had a smile coming across her face, happy tears now coming out of her eyes. "Troy..." she choked out, having a hard time talking. She knew that he was asking from love. She could see nothing but that in his eyes and it meant the world to her. She didn't feel bad about anything anymore and she didn't feel depressed. "...Of course I will!"

Everyone erupted into cheers as the ring was slipped onto Gabriella's finger and she and Troy shared another passionate kiss. They were like that for more than just a minute, even as the song in the background changed. The pair pulled away after a few minute Troy looked over to Stella. She nodded and walked over, pulling a bouquet of lilies from behind her. "These are from Troy. He got them just for you." she smiled.

Gabriella smiled as she took the flowers and looked at Troy. "How sweet!" she exclaimed before kissing him again.

"Code red, we got a situation." Chad joked. "Someone give them a room."

Troy moved his arm away from around Gabriella and used it to playfully push Chad away, then wrapped it back around Gabriella and continued kissing her.

Chad rolled his eyes and smiled as he walked over to Taylor, wrapping an arm around her as everyone looked at Troy and Gabriella in awe. How sweet it looked. Chad took his eyes off of them and looked at Taylor.

Taylor looked back at Chad as a smile came across her face, more than just for their best friends. "I think I'm going to need another place to stay tonight."

* * *

Well this took long enough to write. Almost all day, I think. And now i have to get ready to go to work so that means I finished just in time. And for those of you on edge about Gabriella's secret as well, the answer to that will be coming soon. I got one answer from the poll so far so I'll wait a day or so and see what else happens. If all else goes well, hopefully this story will be finished by the end of the week. So until then, enjoy reading every other story besides mine and let me know if this chapter wasn't as lame as I think it is. XD


	22. Chapter 21

So there was a pretty big step last chapter. I'm not sure how many more chapters this story's gonna go on for but I know there's gonna be an epilogue at the end and then a preview of other stories I'm planning to write up. And i am now counting the days till HSM3 comes to nine days. And today being Sunday, that means six days until my bday. I'm not gonna have much of a chance to even celebrate it cause I'll be out all day and then working. How suckish is that? At least in school you can still kinda wish yourself that, right? Now as for updating in more than one day today, I'll see what I can do also because of my homework situation. If I have a chance, maybe I'll add another oneshot to something. So other than the fact that I don't own HSM what else am I supposed to type? Eh, never mind.

* * *

"Ok so you two have a lot of planning to do now." Sharpay demanded the next day at Starbuck's as everyone was out on a triple date. "You need to talk colors, outfits, food, music, flowers..."

"Sharpay we just got engaged yesterday." Troy replied. "We don't need to plan everything right this second. Besides don't you and Zeke have more planning to do than us?"

"We're getting married in two months, we have almost everything planned." Sharpay replied. "We have the outfits, the designs, the music..."

"Can we talk about something that doesn't end in agreeing to a set of vows?" Chad asked. He snapped his fingers and quickly added, "Unless it involves cake."

"Cake!" Sharpay exclaimed. Her shot shot over to Zeke, who was sitting beside her. "Zeke did you start a cake?"

"Yes Sharpay, the cake's set up and everything. I worked on a practice cake so we made sure it's what we wanted." he replied.

"See Sharpay? You're worrying too much just like you worry about your students." Troy stated. "Everything's just fine. Gabriella and I don't need to rush into the wedding.

"Oh my God, and you need a wedding planner!" Sharpay realized.

Gabriella moaned at the discussion. All this talk over a wedding that wouldn't happen for a while? What about invitations and informing the families? What about reaching agreements on both ends and seeing how many guests there would be, not to mention booking a time, place, recaption, etc. All this talk the day after Troy proposed was just too much. And really, did Sharpay have to take control of everything? As far as Gabriella was considered there was still one thing eating away at her. She was so caught up last night that she never even had the chance to tell Troy what she had originally wanted to. Maybe then if he knew he wouldn't have proposed but what was she supposed to do, spill it two seconds later and ruin the moment?

"Gabriella."

Gabriella snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Taylor, responsible for doing so. "Huh, what?"

"Are you ok? You got pretty distance in a short period of time." Taylor observed.

Gabriella shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

"You're not. You're stressed about the wedding." Sharpay insisted.

"It's not about the wedding." Gabriella said.

"Then it much be about Sharpay trying to control everything." Chad stated.

"Hey!" Sharpay gasped.

"No, not everything. I mean..." Gabriella found herself at a loss of words.

"Gabs are you sure everything's alright?" Troy asked calmly, looking at her. "What's wrong?"

Gabriella paused for a minute. Should she tell Troy now and really raise the bar? Should she tell it in front of all her friends? How would they all react? you know, maybe it was best to just tell Troy in private. She could tell all of her friends later, right? She took a deep breath and turned to Troy. "Can I talk to you for a minute alone?"

Troy raised an eyebrow from confusion. "Yeah sure." he agreed. He got up with Gabriella and walked off to the side, out of sight and earshot from the others. He followed Gabriella, who seemed to be a bit nervous. "Are you ok?" he asked again.

"Well..." she started as she slowly turned back to Troy. "There's something I have to tell you. I was going to tell you last night but I never got the chance to."

"Gabs?" Troy asked, perplexed.

"It's about the secret I was keeping from you. I wanted to tell you last night but I guess it never came up after you proposed..." she started.

"Is something wrong? Should I be worried?" Troy asked, though already getting worried.

"It depends." Gabriella admitted. "How would you feel if I old you I was pregnant?"

Troy's eyes widened. "Really?" he gasped. "Mine?"

"No one else's." she whispered. "One month long." She didn't know what kind of reaction she was expecting from Troy, especially when she had kept it secret. Who could blame her? Gabriella didn't know how to tell him in the first place or how he would react. She had even considered abortion but she knew that was wrong. And what good what it do to get it when Troy didn't even know? That sure wouldn't be fair to him. Gabriella forced herself to look into Troy's eyes, reluctant to see his response.

"No way!" Troy exclaimed. He seemed in shock for a minute, and then a smile began spreading across his face. "Gabs that's amazing!" he pulled her in for a big bear hug.

"Really?" Gabriella gasped as she hugged him back.

"Yeah, really. I cant believe it, I can prove I'm not a total loser with kids." Troy joked, remembering the problems he had with Chad and Dylan.

Gabriella smiled and giggled. "You'll be fine Troy. It's only eight months away."

Troy pulled out of the hug. "Did you tell the guys yet?"

"No." she shook her head. "You had to know first. And this gives us one more thing to worry about."

"Gabs, we'll be fine." Troy promised. "So what do you say instead of spilling the secret now we keep everyone in suspense just to get on their nerves?"

Gabriella giggled. "Troy you are one naughty man." she teased.

Troy pretended to think, then nodded. "Yeah, I try to be." he smiled as he linked arms with Gabriella and walked back over to the table.

"Where'd you guys go?" Zeke asked once the couple returned.

"We just had something to discuss in private." Troy stated. He held up a finger to Sharpay before she could speak. "And no, it's not about the wedding."

Gabriella looked around the table. "Hey where did Chad and Taylor go?" she wondered.

"They got some kind of call while you guys were gone. They left in a hurry." Zeke answered.

"What happened?" Troy asked. "They get into some kind of fight?"

"No, there was some lame call and they both had to run. And Taylor was the one who got it, so who knows why Chad ran with her." Sharpay rolled her eyes.

Troy and Gabriella exchanged glances. Were they missing something?"

"So, what were you two really talking about?" Sharpay asked, leaning forward in her seat. She knew something was going on and she was going to find out.

"Let's just keep it a secret for a while, shall we?" Troy winked. He kissed Gabriella on the cheek. "Our little secret."

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"Thanks for coming guys." Brian said as he saw Chad and Taylor. They had agreed to meet in a rather quiet area of the park. Dylan was by Brian's side, not having much a clue as to what was going on. But it was time to settle everything. "So you agreed to everything?" he asked Chad.

Chad nodded. "Yes and no." He handed Brian the copy of the section. "There's one thing though. I really think Dylan should choose who he wants to live with."

Brian raised an eyebrow. "I get what you're saying and all, but isn't that a little too much pressure to put on a nine-year-old?"

"Maybe we can reach an agreement." Taylor suggested. "Brian if Dylan picks you, then at least let him finish the school year here before he moves home with you. If not, then at least see if he wants to see you again before you leave." She looked at both men. "Is it an agreement?"

"You always were the smart one." Chad smiled.

"And I think it's a great idea." Brian agreed. "Should we get this over with?"

Chad nodded. He knew Brian had to be at least a little nervous. On Brian's side, he had never known about Dylan's existence until just a week or so ago. So how fair would it be for Dylan to be taken away to some other family? On Dylan's side, how fair would it be for him to be forced to live with someone he might not even like? Even if he was a little kid, he could make a few decisions on his own. By now Dylan should have some idea who he feels more comfortable with, which would result in his decision. And then there was Chad's side. He was the one raising Dill for a few years now. He was like a father figure, but he wasn't Dylan's father. And with respect to Dylan, he had to know his real father because he couldn't go on forever not knowing, not knowing where he really came from. This was going to be hard on any of them, but in the end they would know that it was Dylan's choice and he would be happy. That was all that mattered.

Taylor could tell there was a silence between everyone. It had to be ended and this whole thing had to be settled. The first thing to do was to lay down some rules. "Ok so," she spoke up, "both of you take an equal amount of steps away from Dylan. Not too close and not too far. Don't pressure him, to push him into making a decision. Stay calm and remember this is all for him."

Brian and Dylan nodded. They looked at Dylan, who looked back at both with a confused look. The men then took an equal amount of steps away. They knelt down to his level so it would lower the intimidation. Dylan looked back and forth between the two. What was going on? What were they doing? Dylan nearly jumped when he saw Taylor from behind him.

"It's ok Dylan." she said softly. "You just have a choice to make. You're either going to be living with Brian or Chad. You know Brian is technically your father, but Chad has acted as your father before you found out. But they don't want to force you to living with someone you don't want to live with. It's all up to you."

"I don't get it." Dylan shook his head.

This was going to be a little more challenging wasn't it? Dylan didn't seem to understand what was going on at all. There had to be a simpler way to explain it. Let's see, how could that be possible...?

"Look at this way," Taylor said, "you get to live with one of two people. One is a new friend you made and the other one is a friend you've known for years. Which one would you live with?"

Dylan looked back and forth between Brian and Chad again. So they were both his friends then? He thought they were his dads...well, sort of anyway. He wasn't even sure anymore. He looked up at Taylor, and then at the men again. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. He needed to be told what to do or else he could make the wrong decision. What if he made the wrong choice now? Maybe he wouldn't know the consequences in the long run or even fully understand it now, but the feel of the situation was there. Dylan looked at Taylor again.

"I dunno." he said quietly.

"It's ok, take your time." she promised. "There's no rush."

Chad wanted to speak up and calm Dylan down, but he knew he couldn't. They had agreed not to say anything to influence Dylan in pushing him to one side more over the other. Besides even if he did speak up would Dylan accept the conversation or push him away. The suspense was killing him. Chad bit his tongue as he watched everything carefully, trying not to show his nervousness.

Dylan looked back at Taylor again. She was now pretty much down to his level, patiently waiting. She kept her eyes on him gently, proving there was no pressure. But really that's all there was. Pressure. Dylan gently tugged on Taylor's sleeve, as though he were begging for help.

"You have to make this decision on your own." Taylor shook her head. "Just you. You pick which friend you want to live with. It's ok."

"I don't wanna choose." Dylan whined.

"You have to. And you can." Taylor said. Man being the neutral party was more difficult than she thought. Could he please just pick a father and they could be done there?

Dylan tugged on Taylor's sleeve harder. "No. I don't wanna pick."

"Dylan, please don't fight." Taylor insisted, trying to stay as calm as possible. "You have to pick someone. Which friend do you wanna pick?"

"No!" Dylan gasped. He wrapped his arms around Taylor tight, refusing to pull away.

Chad raised an eyebrow from confusion and Brian watched carefully. Then they exchanged glances, knowing that wasn't supposed to happen.

"Um, Dylan...I'm not a friend on that list." Taylor informed him.

"No!" Dylan cried again, still not letting go.

"What's going on here?" Chad wondered.

Brian looked at Taylor and Dylan, and then turned to Chad to answer him. The two slowly stood up and Taylor just watched the curiously, being stuck still on her knees with Dylan around her. Brian turned back to Chad, who still looked confused.

"I think he's made his decision."

* * *

Climactic huh? Sorry, i know it's not a long chapter. I had ideas in my head and everything but then all of this was the best I could do. Guess some of the ideas slipped my mind. DX So that should be it for now, I'm not sure if I'll have another chance today for updates or not. But with a three hour break tomorrow, yet again, I'll at least type up the next chapter and then upload it when I get home. And you guys are so totally bored with my long author's notes that has stuff in it you don't care about, huh? Ok I'll try and shorten them up. Matter of fact, I'll shorten them up so much that everything will only be a max of three lines, not counting disclaimers or anything (or thanks for reviews). I'll try and keep that promise at least for the next chapter.


	23. Chapter 22

Ok I know I said I probably wouldn't update again today, but I really really wanna try and get this story finished before the end of the week. I especially have this one idea for a story I'm dying to get started on (not literally of course). Not sure how long this'll take to type cause I'm watching HSM at the same time. ^^ I do not own that either, by the way.

* * *

"What do you mean he's made his decision?" Taylor asked. "Last I checked I was not on the list."

"He's putting you on that list." Brian replied. "I don't think Chad or I have a say in it."

"I'm not supposed to be a choice. It doesn't matter how comfortable Dylan is around me or anything, what matters is he chooses one of you to live with. Those are his choices. He can find a mother...I don't know, after he chooses a father or something." Taylor argued.

"Tay, why do you insist on being so stubborn about this?" Chad asked. "Why can't you just accept the fact that maybe Dill doesn't want me or Brian? What if he wants you instead of either of us? We all agreed that this would be Dylan's choice. He's made his choice and I don't think there's anything more to say about it."

"You don't get it. Why would he choose me over either of you?" Taylor questioned.

"Maybe because he feels the most comfortable around you." Chad replied. "I saw the way he was with you that first time. I saw how attached he was to you. You grew on him Tay. And if I didn't know any better I'd say he grew on you, too."

Taylor looked down at Dylan. She was silent. Ok, so the kid did grow on her a little. But that still didn't change things. How was she supposed to raise a boy she knew about as long as Brian, the guy who she turned down? She didn't know Dylan that well. She didn't know much about children, and it didn't help that she was always the youngest in her family. Or it could always be that Taylor just wasn't ready to raise a child. And then it took her back to high school. What would have happened if she never got the abortion? Would she be struggling as much then? Would she be hesitant to keep the baby? But this was still different'. Dylan wasn't a baby. He was a little kid who only knew his real father. And what was his life before Chad adopted him? And how comfortable would he even be practically jumping from person to person to person like this? This couldn't be fair. Taylor still thought that she wasn't qualified. It had to be Brian or Chad. But Dylan wouldn't budge on that. He refused to let her go.

Chad could see some uneasiness in Taylor. He just didn't understand why she was so hesitant for this. It was supposed to be simple; Dylan chose her, she accepted. So why didn't that happen? Why wasn't she agreeing to adopt him as her own now? It was clear that she was the best choice. Dylan wasn't comfortable around Chad anymore. Dylan didn't seem to want Brian, the guy who was his father. For one reason or another, from the minute Dylan met Taylor he was attached to her. Chad didn't know much about Dylan before he adopted him either, but somehow Taylor gave him the security that no one else had before. There had to be a way to convince her. Somehow.

"Tay you got a minute?" Chad asked, finally breaking the silence.

Taylor looked up at Chad and nodded. "Yeah, sure." she agreed. She tried getting out of Dylan's grip and standing up, but he was still holding her tight. "I'll be right back ok?" she asked.

"No!" Dylan insisted.

"Dylan, I promise I'll be right back ok? Give me five minutes and stay put." she said, raising her voice slightly.

Dylan pouted and sat down on the ground, removing his arms from around Taylor. He sat down, crossing his legs and folded his arms.

Taylor sighed, knowing he was upset. "I promise, I'll be right back ok?" she told him softly. "I just need five minutes."

And still he was silent. He picked up on her cold shoulder technique rather quickly. Dylan looked down at the ground, not moving or anything, except for breathing and blinking.

Taylor sighed and shook her head gently. She had to remember, he was a child and could get his feelings hurt so much easier. Everything done with him had to be gentle and relaxed. She couldn't raise her voice like that. She rubbed Dylan on the back and kissed him on the head. "Just five minutes." she repeated in a quieter voice. She stood up and headed with Chad over to the side, out of earshot from Dylan and Brian.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Chad asked once they stopped walking and turned to her.

"I'm the stubborn one?" she asked sarcastically. "You can be pretty stubborn yourself."

"Ok you have a point there." Chad muttered. "But why won't you agree to take Dylan? Do you not see how he is around you? He seems way more comfortable."

"That's not what this is about." Taylor shook her head.

"Then fill me in on what it is about. Because I'm having a pretty hard time figuring out why you won't take him in." Chad said. Just because he's not really yours doesn't mean you'd love him any differently. He'd still be your son. He's been mine for a while now even if we're not related. How is this any different?"

"I'm not on the list of candidates Chad. I'm not qualified to raise Dylan." Taylor replied.

"You seem pretty qualified to me." Chad insisted. "Why does he have to be your real son for you to take care of him or love him?"

"Chad-" she started.

"Who got straight A's in health class and that freaky family class when we were in high school? Who was always the more responsible one? Who always keeps things under control?" Chad started questioning. "Last I checked you were always all those things. So why would it be any different now?"

"He won't replace the one we lost!" Taylor blurt out.

Chad took a step back and blinked. That was not the answer he was expecting. He was expecting...ok, he didn't know exactly what he was expecting. Maybe that she wouldn't have time or patience to bring up Dylan? Or maybe it would be the whole moving back home after the summer thing or something. But Chad couldn't believe it. Was this what was eating away at her all this time, why she was putting up such a fight and giving them a hard time about this?

Taylor's eyes widened as soon as she realized what she said. She didn't mean for it to come out that way. She didn't even mean for it to come out. It just slipped. So now she was giving Chad the impression that she was lost in the past and she didn't care what was going on, which was so far away from the truth. Taylor was always one to try and put the past behind her as best she could. But there always had to be a few, even rare, cases in which those visions of the past refused to go away and they continued eating away at her. And in this particular case, that one situation had never stopped eating away at her, even if at times it was pushed to the back of her mind and replaced with other situations or problems.

Chad tried taking a step closer to Taylor, a concerned expression on his face. Something had to be wrong now, he just knew it. "Tay..." he started softly.

She looked away and shook her head. "I'm sorry." she said quietly. "That wasn't supposed to..." She turned her body away from Chad and placed her hand over her mouth, not wanting to see his reaction.

Chad sighed, hating to see her like this. He walked over to her standing right behind her. His arms went around her waist and his head on her shoulder. "It's ok. I know it has to be a sore spot." he said softly. He then looked down, "It wasn't just you who went through it, you know. I still feel bad about making you go through that and not giving you the proper answer at the time. But I was so scared of going in with you and only coming out with the baby..."

"I understand that." she whispered. "But now you're here thinking that it's all I care about. But it's not."

"Tay..." he started again.

"I didn't go through with it right away." she confessed quietly.

Chad looked at her confused. "What?" he asked.

"When you told me to go through with the abortion, I didn't go through it as quickly as I should have." she explained, her voice still low. "I put it off for as long as I could. I just couldn't handle going through with it right away. Let alone at all. I couldn't do it, knowing that I was actually killing something. The only reason I went through with it at all, even if it was almost too late in the game, was because I knew it would have been found out. You don't know how hard it was for me to actually go through with it. I was almost ready to actually go through with it."

Chad wrapped his arms tighter around Taylor. "I'm sorry Tay. I should have never made you go through with it. If I knew how hard it was gonna be..."

"You couldn't have known." she shook her head.

A moment of silence.

"You know Dylan doesn't replace anyone." Chad said quietly. "It doesn't change anything. And it doesn't change the way I feel." He gently kissed her on the back of her head, as it was the easiest place for him to reach from the position he was standing at. "Just say you don't hate me?"

"I don't hate you." she shook her head. She looked at Chad slightly. "But not just because you asked me to say that."

Chad smiled slightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Taylor whispered.

Chad moved some hair away from Taylor's face and tucked it behind her ear. "I can't hear you." he teased, trying to hold in a chuckle.

Taylor couldn't help but giggle as his fingers brushed up against her face, as they tickled her. "Chad..."

"I still can't hear you." Chad laughed. He playfully spun her around.

"Chad!" Taylor gasped in between giggles. She let him spin her around and then evidently faced him again. His arms remained around her and her hands went on his shoulders. "You always know how to make me feel better." she stated.

"I try to." Chad shrugged modestly. He smiled and kissed Taylor on the forehead, and she snuggled into his neck. Chad rested his head on top of hers. "I'm gonna make things right again. I promise." he whispered.

"Taylor?"

Chad and Taylor pulled away slightly to see Dylan now standing beside them, looking up at Taylor. Chad looked at Taylor, figuring this was her chance to decide what to do. Taylor looked down at Dylan and then knelt down to his level. She stayed there for a minute, just looking at him. She finally decided to pick him up and then stood up straight. She looked at Chad and smiled.

"I think I'll keep him."

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"Why didn't you ever tell me this?" Gabriella gasped later that day. She and Taylor were both back in Gabriella's home and about an hour had passed since Taylor walked in with Dylan. She had been telling Gabriella the whole story, including what happened with her and Chad during senior year. So here they were in Gabriella's living room with Dylan sitting in the kitchen drawing on a piece of printing paper.

"I'm sorry ok?" Taylor repeated for what felt like the fiftieth time. "I didn't want it getting out."

"So you thought it was fine to just kill that baby?" Gabriella asked.

"I feel bad enough about it Gabriella. You don't have to keep bringing it up." Taylor replied. "Why are you jumping down my throat about this? we've hardly ever argued before so why start now?"

"We've never had a reason to before." Gabriella answered. "I thought you had morals, I thought I knew you like a sister."

"Sometimes things have to be done." Taylor said simply. "It had to be done."

"It had to be done or you had to get it done to please someone else?" Gabriella questioned.

"How could you say that?" Taylor gasped.

"Because my sister would never do something like that. " Gabriella replied. "I thought I knew you Taylor, but I guess I was wrong. When did you ever change?"

"I thought sisters supported each other." Taylor said. "And when I lost my older sister you were the closest thing I had to a sibling. I lost her and I lost my brother. I thought I still had you. But maybe I was wrong to ever think that."

"Maybe I was wrong to think we ever were like sisters." Gabriella countered. "I can't believe you!"

"Then stop believing me!" Taylor argued. "No one's stopping you."

"Then go move in with your boyfriend because obviously he's the only one you'd ever listen to." Gabriella insisted.

"Maybe I will!" Taylor fought back.

"Then go!" Gabriella yelled.

"I'll pack my things!" Taylor yelled back. She stormed up to the guest room and started packing.

Gabriella sighed heavily and collapsed onto the couch. Some argument with her best friend. She never expected them to go off like that. She and Taylor hardly ever argued. Sure they would have a few different points of view but nothing too out there. And Gabriella was never one to snap. And that's what she had just done. She snapped at her best friend and kicked her out. It could have been her mood swings from the pregnancy or it could have been because she was that mad. And once it was all said and done with, Gabriella would be hoping that it was just her mood swings talking. But until then maybe the best thing to do would be to just let her and Taylor cool off before they talked again or thought about working things out. Gabriella sighed more quietly this time, hoping in the back of her mind that everything would work out. Maybe some company from Troy was what she needed, as long as it wasn't too much. And if Troy was unavailable she could always go to Sharpay.... No wait, maybe that was a bad idea. She'd try and control everything or something and then she'd find out about Gabriella's pregnancy for sure and tell everyone before Gabriella could. Maybe if she couldn't get to Troy, she'd have to settle for Stella. Yeah, that was the better choice.

She finally picked up her phone and started dialing. She put the phone to her ear and patiently waited for Troy to pick up. It was silent except for a few rings, but evidently there was no answer. Troy was probably busy with Zeke or the community theater. Something like that. So Gabriella sighed and decided to leave a message.

"Hey Troy, it's me." she said softly. "Call me back when you get the chance, I'd really like you to come over tonight. I'll explain everything later. Love you." Gabriella then hung up her phone and leaned back on the couch. She'd wait a couple of hours and see what that would do. She could handle being alone in her house until then.

Taylor was in the guest bedroom pulling everything she had brought with her out and stuffing it into her luggage. She didn't care about everything being organized or anything at that point, she just wanted to get out and leave the house. If Gabriella didn't want her there then that was just fine. Taylor could leave. She could take a hint. So there was only one other place she could think to go off the top of her head. And she was sure it would feel much more comfortable than where she was right now.

Once everything was packed, she sighed quietly and pulled her luggage downstairs. She passed by Gabriella, giving her the usual cold shoulder she would to anyone she was mad at. Taylor stepped into the kitchen and went over to Dylan. "Come on Dylan, we're going to get out of here." she said softly.

Dylan picked his head up from his picture and looked at Taylor. "But I was drawing a picture for you."

"That's so sweet." Taylor smiled. "But you can finish it later ok? We've got someplace else to be."

"Where are we going?" he asked curiously.

"We're going to a friend's." Taylor answered.

"I thought we were at a friend's." Dylan said, still confused.

"Come with me, ok?" Taylor asked. She stood up and pulled up the handle on her luggage so she could roll it.

Dylan jumped out of his seat and picked up the sheet of paper. "Piggyback ride?"

Taylor turned to him. "I can't give you one with one hand." she said. She saw Dylan's pouting face again and sighed. "How about you walk with me for a while and then when you get tired I'll try and give you a piggyback?" she suggested. "But I don't mean just after five minutes."

"Ok." Dylan nodded in agreement.

"Come on, walk beside me." Taylor smiled. She began rolling her luggage out the door and a content Dylan walked beside her with his paper at hand. "Ok Taylor." he agreed.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Chad sighed as he pulled out a TV dinner from the freezer. "Dinner for one." he said to himself. Like his sister would join him for dinner anyway. She was out for the night and once again Chad found himself in an empty house. He sat down at the counter in the kitchen and dropped the TV dinner on top of it. He placed his head in his hand and rested his elbow on the counter top. He blew some bangs out of his face in a bored manner. He was hoping that everything was going ok with Taylor and Dylan. They both seemed in a good mood when they left the park earlier, and Chad knew that Brian would call Taylor again to work out everything to make her guardianship of Dylan official. And then what would happen? Would they move away? Would Chad never see them again? He sighed at the thought, becoming distracted by it.

And as soon as there was a knock on the door, he was snapped out of his thoughts. Chad's head shot up as he headed for the front door. He opened it and saw Taylor and Dylan standing in front of him.

"Hey..." he greeted, a bit confused.

Taylor moved some hair out of her face. "Any chance we can stay with you?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course." Chad nodded. "But what happened?"

"Gabriella and I just got into a bit of a fight." Taylor admitted. "She kicked me and Dylan out of her house."

"Are you ok?" Chad wondered.

"Yeah. We're fine." Taylor nodded.

"Here, let me get that." Chad said, referring to her luggage. He pulled it into the house and Taylor and Dylan followed him in, closing the door behind them.

"Taylor can I finish that picture now?" Dylan asked hopefully.

"Of course you can." Taylor nodded.

Chad walked over to the two and looked at Dylan. "You remember where we keep the crayons in here?" he asked.

Dylan didn't say anything, he just nodded. He turned back to Taylor. "Are you gonna come up with me?" he asked Taylor, tugging on her sleeve again.

"I'll come up soon." Taylor promised. "Go finish your picture, Dylan."

"Ok." Dylan nodded. He nearly ran up the stairs, eager to finish drawing.

Chad couldn't help but chuckle. "If I didn't know better I'd say he thinks Taylor means mom." he stated.

"I'll believe that." Taylor said sarcastically. "Are you sure this is no trouble?"

"Of course not." Chad promised.

"Then I'll just take my things up to Dylan's room and..." she started as she took her luggage.

Chad placed his hand over hers, stopping Taylor from going any further. "Or you could stay in my room." he offered. "There's room for two."

Taylor gasped and pushed him slightly. "Chad what are you insinuating?"

Chad chuckled. "Oh, nothing." he said innocently.

"Yeah well keep dreaming." Taylor replied. "I'll be in Dylan's room for the time being." She took her bag from Chad and took it up the stairs.

Chad only smiled as he watched her leave the room. "Guess I won't be eating alone tonight after all."

* * *

Ok so i think this chapter turned out better than the previous two. You usually see fights between Troy and Chad, so I thought it'd be interesting to switch things up with Gabriella and Taylor, you know? So that means Troy is still the only one who knows about Gabriella's little secret. And while I was typing all of this instead of doing my homework like I was supposed to I was watching HSM and HSM2. I took a lot of observations in those movies that I probably can't even remember now. xD And this a/n is longer than I said it'd be isn't it? Ok, I'll try and keep it shorter next time, I really promise. But you know for sure the next chapter will be up tomorrow. We'll see if any drama can subside temporarily and if anything else will happen with couples besides T&G and C&T. Like I said, I'll combine their names when I'm good and ready to. So I will leave it at this for tonight and see you tomorrow. Or virtually...or just be on.... You know what I mean, right? 0_o


	24. Chapter 23

Ok so this chapter was, like I mentioned, typed during school today. The long break I had went quicker than usual actually. o_0 Hm, maybe it was from that first hour I spent playing Family Feud on my laptop or something. It was funny, cause I have two HSM families on there and I combined all of their last names together. Listen to these for a good laugh: McBoltfortezans and Crayeilsans&Darbus or something like those. XD Wacky, huh? Ok so this is probably about my limit for the a/n for now. Next chapter I shall say thanks once again to the reviews.  
Once more, HSM is not mine.

* * *

"Dinner's ready!" Chad called about an hour later. He smiled as he saw Taylor come down the stairs with Dylan. "I made macaroni and cheese. I know they're Dill's favorite." He smiled.

Dylan looked away and just went into the dining room, not saying anything to Chad. Chad sighed as he watched the boy leave in disappointment.

Taylor looked at Chad, seeing the disappointment in his eyes. "He'll come around." She promised. "You know he will. Deep down Dylan knows you care about him."

"Yeah, I know." Chad nodded. "But I'm having a hard time believing that now."

"Just give it a chance is all. If it's fine with you, then Dylan and I are here to stay until I book a flight back home." Taylor replied.

"You're not planning on staying?" Chad asked, even though he should have expected it.

"I have a job somewhere else. I have a life at Oxford." Taylor replied. Sure, it wasn't the best life but it was still pretty good for her. Now if she could persuade Chad to go with her or something then it would be even better. But really, what were the odds of that happening? And she knew she'd have to be back by the end of the summer; she had students to teach and plans to make.

"Right. You're right." Chad nodded, snapping out of his thoughts. So Taylor wouldn't be staying. He wouldn't be spending more time with her and they wouldn't really be together. As much as Chad wanted her to stay he knew she couldn't. She had a life elsewhere and he had to respect that, just like he had a life in Albuquerque. "You have a life at your home and you can't stay away from it forever. So when do you go back?"

"Sometime in August at the latest." Taylor admitted. "That still gives me about a month here. But I really should purchase some tickets in advance."

Leave it to Taylor to try and save money. Hey, it was smart; she would need it for plenty of other things, especially now with Dylan in the picture. All Chad could do was nod in response. "Well whenever that day is, I'd be happy to drive you to the airport." He said.

"That really means a lot to me Chad." Taylor said with a small smile. "Thanks."

"No problem. Really." Chad replied.

"Taylor!" Dylan called from the dining room.

"I think someone wants you." Chad observed.

"Yeah. We'd better go join him for dinner." Taylor nodded. She went into the dining room, seeing Dylan sitting at the table. His food had barely been touched and it didn't even look like he took a single sip from his drink. "Dylan you haven't even touched your food yet." She noted. "You have to eat, you're a growing boy."

"I'm not hungry." He lied. "Can we go somewhere else to eat?"

"Dylan, this is your favorite dish. How can you not like it?" Taylor asked.

"It's not the food he doesn't like, I bet." Chad said as he walked into the dining room. "Maybe you guys should go out to eat, I'll stay here by myself."

Taylor sighed and turned to Chad. "You've got to be kidding."

"No, it's fine." Chad said. "I'll keep the mac and cheese as leftovers and have one plate for myself, you and Dill go out to dinner. I'll be ok."

"You went to all this trouble to cook the least we could do is eat it." Taylor replied.

"Tay, don't argue now ok?" Chad asked. "Please? I'll even pay for your dinner myself…"

"Nice try Danforth." Taylor said. "You're not paying for anything." She looked at Dylan, who looked at her hopefully, and then turned back to Chad. "I'll bring you back something, ok?" she added reluctantly.

"Ok." Chad nodded. "Do you need a ride?"

"No, we'll be fine." She shook her head. "Really, don't go through any trouble."

"Alright." Chad unwillingly agreed.

"We'll see you in a couple of hours then." Taylor promised. She gave Chad a kiss on the cheek and then led Dylan out of the dining room, then out of the house.

Dylan looked at Taylor with his usual confused look. He didn't know what was going on with the, why they sounded so sad or something. Was he really being that much trouble? Was it really that hard? Dylan had no clue. He wished he was smarter so he did know what was going on.

"Taylor, what was going on back there?" he asked about five minutes after they left.

"Nothing." She lied shaking her head. "Really, you don't need to worry about it."

"But I wanna know." Dylan whined. "Tell me?"

"Dylan it's not your concern. Don't worry about anything." Taylor shook her head. "Can you please just listen?"

"No!" Dylan insisted as he pulled his hand away from Taylor and stopped walking.

Taylor sighed and turned to him. When did he get so stubborn? Heck, who's stubbornness did he even pick up on? "Dylan." She scolded.

"I wanna know!" he moaned again. "Tell me."

"Dylan there's nothing to tell." Taylor replied.

Dylan began letting his childish nature take over. "I hate you!" he yelled, and ran in the opposite direction.

"Dylan!" Taylor called. "Dylan, get back here!" She started running after him. What was his problem? Was she being too harsh again? Was it leaving Gabriella's house so quickly and going back to Chad's house when he didn't want to? Oh man, maybe it was the transition. Dill had been through so much in a couple of weeks that he was probably more confused than he should be, that he wasn't sure who he was supposed to turn to anymore. He probably got so sensitive every time someone yelled at him that he didn't know who to turn to anymore.

Taylor managed to catch up to Dylan, who now sitting on a bus bench was curled up in a ball. His knees were in his chest and he was holding them close to him. His head was nearly buried in his knees and he refused to move. Taylor sighed as she slowly walked over to him and sat down beside him, though was sure to keep a bit of distance. She didn't want to force him into anything after all.

"I'm sorry if I reprimanded you." She apologized. "But you don't need to know every little thing that goes on. I can promise you that everything is fine. So if something is bothering you, you can tell me. I'd like to know. And if you need help, I can't help you if you don't say so."

Dylan looked up at Taylor slightly. "I always needed help with homework." He admitted shyly.

"Then I can help you with your homework." She promised. "Just because we're not by ourselves it doesn't mean I'm going to ignore you."

"So why were you with my not dad?" Dylan inquired.

"Because he happens to be my friend." Taylor answered truthfully. "And I happen to really, really like him."

"But being with the opposite gender gives you cooties." Dylan wrinkled his nose.

Taylor giggled. "You think that now." She stated. "Give it time and you'll see. But I like spending time with your 'not dad' and I like him. That doesn't mean it's going to change anything with us. We're still going to be a family."

"Really?" Dylan asked hopefully.

"Of course." Taylor nodded. "But if you ever don't feel comfortable doing something or going somewhere then you need to tell me. And I need to know if you're ok where we are for a month before I take you to my home."

"You mean we're not gonna stay?" Dylan complained.

"I don't know." Taylor admitted. She didn't want anything set in stone yet, and it certainly didn't sound like Dylan wanted to move to unfamiliar territory. So maybe the best thing to do would be to play it by ear and see how he handles everything. If he didn't want to move then maybe Taylor would have to look into buying a house back here in Albuquerque.

"Tell you what," she said, "if you really want to stay here then I still have my home somewhere else. I can go back there temporarily to sell it and we can find our own house here to move into."

"Really?" his face lit up.

"Really." Taylor smiled. "Still hate me?"

"Uh-huh." Dylan shook his head happily as he jumped back into her arms. He looked up at her, "Can we go eat that macaroni and cheese now? I'm really hungry."

"Let's see if your 'not dad' still has those plates out for us then, ok?" Taylor asked.

"Ok!" Dylan agreed.

Taylor smiled and picked him up, heading back to Chad's house. She cautiously stepped inside and saw him eating alone at the counter in the kitchen. Chad's head perked up as he heard the door open and looked at Taylor and Dylan with confused looks.

"What are you guys doing back?" he wondered, though he wasn't going to complain.

"Dylan couldn't wait for dinner." Taylor answered. "Still have room for two more?"

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

With Dylan now tucked into bed, Taylor turned off the light in his room and headed into Chad's room for the time being. He was sitting on his bed reading one of his Sports Illustrated magazines or something. Chad picked his head up when he saw Taylor walk in.

"Dill asleep?" he asked.

"Yeah." Taylor nodded as she sat on the edge of his bed. "I just tucked him in and everything. He must really be worn out."

Chad nodded. "So why did you guys really come back early? I thought he didn't like me anymore."

"I think he's starting to warm up to you." Taylor said with a small smile. "Just give him a chance. He's not going to be cold to your forever."

"I hope not." Chad shook his head.

"You just want to be his dad again don't you?" Taylor figured.

"He kept calling me 'not dad'. I mean really, what kid calls someone who use to raise him 'not dad'?" Chad asked.

"The kind who's confused. Dylan doesn't know who to trust completely anymore. I think he's torn between you and Brian. That's why he couldn't choose." Taylor said. "But he needs a father, you know that."

"So what are you saying?" Chad asked.

"Well I'm hoping…" she admitted, "…that when Dylan warms up to you again, you can be his father again."

"Are you serious?" Chad gasped.

"I said it myself. He's got a good father figure." Taylor shrugged.

A smile spread across Chad's face. He didn't know how, but just thinking that he could be that again made him feel so much better. He wanted to be that good father figure again and now Taylor was giving him the idea, the hope, that he'd be able to do that.

"Tay you don't know how happy that'd make me!" he exclaimed.

"I think I have a pretty good idea." She laughed.

Chad only smiled and pulled her in for a tight hug. "You're the best, you know that?" he asked.

"I think I know." She nodded with a smile as she hugged him back. "Besides if I go to sell my home then I'd have to leave Dylan here for someone to watch him, wouldn't I?"

"Wait, so you'd let me watch him?" Chad gasped.

"Chad stop acting so surprised." Taylor laughed. "Come on, you know you'd end up being a really great father Chad. You need more time with Dylan to earn his trust back."

"So what do you have in mind?" Chad wondered.

Taylor opened her mouth to speak when she saw Dylan in the doorway.

"Taylor?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eye.

"Dylan what's wrong?" she asked, turning to him. "Is something wrong?"

"'I had a bad dream. Can you come sleep with me?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course." Taylor nodded. She got off Chad's bed and followed Dylan back to his room. Dylan jumped into his bed first, and then Taylor crawled in behind him, her back facing the wall that the side of his bed was up against, Dylan rested his head on the pillow and Taylor gently stroked him, calming him down. "Go back to sleep ok?" she told him. "I'm not getting up against except for the bathroom."

Dylan nodded but he wouldn't close his eyes. He tried to cuddle in closer to his mother figure and Taylor wrapped her other arm around him. When Taylor picked her head up she could see Chad in the doorway watching them. A smile formed on her face.

Chad saw the smile and returned it. His hands went in his pockets and he then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Is there room for one more?"

"Always is." Taylor smiled.

Chad grinned and made his way over to the bed. He squeezed in between Taylor and the wall, his back literally against it. He wrapped an arm around Taylor and it went around Dylan as well, falling over the hand that Taylor had on Dylan. Chad rested his head against Taylor's.

"How's he doing?" he whispered.

Taylor looked at Dylan to see him now breathing gently, going right to sleep.

"Much better now." She answered with a warm smile. "We both are."

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"Ok so since it's, what Sunday now, I'm feeling lazy." Chad announced the next morning. "So just grab some random cereal from the cabinet and dig in."

"Yay!" Dylan cheered as he did just that.

Taylor shook her head, holding in her laughter. "Chad you have got to be kidding me. Could you be more of a lunkhead?"

"Why?" he asked.

"Just telling Dylan he can take whatever he wants from the cabinet for breakfast." She answered.

"I specified cereal." He shrugged innocently.

Taylor rolled her eyes. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"I'll take that as a compliment." Chad smiled. He looked down to see Dylan trying to jump onto the counter, or at least put his breakfast on the top of it. "Whoa, whoa there little buddy." Chad chuckled. He picked Dylan up and sat him on the stool so he could put the cereal box down. "Slow your roll there. You're too little for the counter just yet." He saw the pouting look from Dylan and only chuckled. "Who am I kidding? Eat up there all you want."

Taylor smiled to see Dylan and Chad were doing so much better now. Sleeping the nigh together like a family really seemed to do them some good. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her phone ring. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hey Taylor." Gabriella spoke from the other line. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Taylor sighed, yet she agreed. "Talk away."

"I wanted to apologize about yesterday. I shouldn't have yelled and I should have respected that you had reasons for doing what you had to do." Gabriella explained. "I guess if the situation was reversed, I'd have a tough decision to make, too. It was bugging you all this time, and I shouldn't have brought it down on you again."

"I'm sorry too, Gabriella. I shouldn't have yelled at you just because you yelled at me." Taylor replied. "Who are we kidding? We are sisters. Sometimes we're the only family we have. But it's not going to be like that forever. We need to show each other that we'll be there for one another no matter what. You're still my sister Gabriella and I love you for that."

"I love you too, sis." Gabriella replied, already tearing up. "Can we please just forget the argument yesterday never happened?"

"Of course." Taylor nodded. "As long as you're ok with me living with Chad until I possibly go back."

"Ok, one thing at a time." Gabriella giggled. "Details on you and Chad, details on possibly going back…oh what the crap, give me details on everything!"

Taylor laughed. She explained just what was going on between her and Chad, and that she might only return home to sell her home so she could buy a place in Albuquerque for Dylan's sake. Actually, she was pretty content discussing all of this with Gabriella. It helped to have a second opinion on things and it helped Taylor know for sure if she was doing the right thing.

"I think you've got everything set out for you, Tay." Gabriella stated. "But why don't you just officially move in with Chad if he'll be like Dylan's father?"

"Gabriella, I'm not making anything official yet." She shook her head.

"You know you want to." Gabriella teased.

"Gabriella." Taylor moaned.

"You know you want to so just admit it." Gabriella replied. "But you know you're always welcome in my house. And I might need to get used to have a little kid around."

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Something you're not telling me, Gabs?"

"Well…" she tried to be as discrete as she could, but really who was she kidding? Gabriella couldn't hold it in from her best friend anymore. "I'm pregnant and Troy and I are going to have a baby!" she exclaimed.

"Gabriella, no way!" Taylor squealed. "That's amazing! That's what you were hiding from him all this time."

"I know! Now I can buy everything for a wedding and things for a baby. And I'm going to make you the godmother." Gabriella explained eagerly.

"Gabriella Montez, truly this is a great honor." Taylor said in a joking tone, even though she was still being serious.

Gabriella giggled. "Think you're up for being an aunty?"

"Are we talking non full-time babysitting duties?" she inquired.

"I would like to think so." Gabriella nodded.

"Call me Aunty then." Taylor laughed.

Gabriella was silent for a minute, as there was some kind of yawning in the background. "I have to go Tay. Troy just got up." She said.

"Oh so that's what you do when you're alone." Taylor teased. "You naughty little girl."

"Very funny. Hey how about you come over for lunch today? The three of us." Gabriella suggested.

Can you say third wheel? That's what Taylor was thinking. Luckily she knew just the way out of this. "You know what Gabs, I think I'm breaking up. I have a very important meeting with a box and a bowl of milk to get to. Talk to you later." She quickly hung up before Gabriella could reply.

"What was that about? I heard 'aunty' and squealing, and…was that snoring coming from your phone?" Chad asked with a confused look.

Taylor rolled her eyes with a smile as she walked over to the boys. "Everything's fine with me and Gabriella now. Amazing how much easier girls can work things out than guys, isn't it?"

"Ok, no need to rub it in." Chad muttered.

"Anyway," Taylor said getting back to the matter at hand, "I heard from Gabriella that she and Troy are expecting."

"Already?" Chad gasped. "Man those two have been busy!"

Taylor playfully slapped Chad on the arm.

"What does that mean?" Dylan asked.

Chad and Taylor paused. Right, there was a little kid present in the room. He was more than too young to know about those things yet. Chad decided to open his mouth and speak in a little kid's voice, saving Taylor the trouble of making everything so technical.

"Well you see Dill, it all starts with a mom and dad. And when they love each other very much…" he explained.

Taylor rolled her eyes as she shook her head. Chad's explanation was so typical. Yeah, like he was even making sense out of it or anything. She walked over to the cabinet and looked for a good breakfast to pull out, or even some oatmeal to make if she had to. But she just couldn't drown out Chad's voice in the background and could only imagine the look Dylan was giving him the entire time.

"What am I getting myself into?" she muttered.

* * *

Ok so probably not the most exciting chapter. But see how much quicker the girls can make up than the boys? Man they must be so jealous of that. XD Aw, and we see a family-ish moment here, too. How nice. So what else is to come before the story's end? Well, I'm not entirely sure yet. Dx I'll type up another chapter shortly and if you have any suggestions on what else to add to the story then feel free to suggest. I type what people want to read, remember? And if you don't want to suggest in a review, there's also pm-ing (is that what it's called, some acronym like that? o_0). I did recieve on suggestion about Ryan and Kelsi and no worries, it be coming soon! No way are we forgetting about them. Slowly build up to get those last two together, you know? ^^ So that should do it for now. Next chapter comin shortly!


	25. Chapter 24

Yes, another chapter in one day. I'm so naughty, I should be doing homework instead. XD Hey, I'm a procrastinator. Whatchya gonna do? Luckily I work good under pressure. In eleventh grade I got the days mixed up that some kind of book of poems involving one theme we had to do for a term project was due, so I had to cram about half of the work into one night and was up till one in the morning finishing it. Still got a good grade. Somewhere in the high ninety's I think, so that has to be good. Don't you guys go doing that to (unless you're good under pressure too. XD). But yes, that is my random a/n for this chapter which probably meant nothing to you guys. So I'll keep you out of suspense and move on with the story! Oh wait, disclaimers and thank you's! xD So for the reviews thank you to digigirl02, Always-Here-Imani, ChaylorTwilightQueen10, lilmissmonique, suckmyanarchy, creativelyyourz, RamandusDaughter, 1angelette, and kadithecutie. Man I really hope there were no typos there. XD And as usual, I do not own HSM.

* * *

"RYAN!" Sharpay yelled for the umpteenth time that day.

Ryan moaned. Only one on Sunday afternoon and Sharpay was still giving him a hard time. Why did they agree to live under the same roof, again? Oh yeah, because they were twins and wanted to continue living together after college until at least one of them was married. At this point Ryan couldn't wait for Sharpay to leave. All she had was one minor cold or something and she was treating it like it'd be the end of her life. Not to mention what it was doing to his life. It was the last week of school for East High students and he was doing all the planning he could to make it special...well until finals week ruined everything but what were you going to do? Besides, Ryan had other plans to make. By the first week in July, hopefully earlier, Kelsi would be back in town. Yes, the sister he could actually stand. Ryan would choose her over Sharpay any day. And as of right now it wouldn't even be possible for Ryan to spend time with anyone, not with his sister ordering him around like this.

"RYAN!" she screamed again.

"I'm coming Shar!" Ryan replied a bit louder than he wanted to. He muttered angrily under his breath and picked up a tray of hot soup, bringing it into Sharpay's room. "Here's your soup oh royal sister of mine." He nearly slammed it onto her bed, but remembered that both of them would have a fit of the soup spilled so he actually put it down more carefully than he seemed to.

"Do I detect sarcasm?" Sharpay questioned.

"Sorry Shar, but you've had me up since six a.m. And it's not even a school day." Ryan replied. "I have a life too, you know. I can't nurture you every time you fall ill."

"Yeah well guess what, Zeke's busy as hell today so you have to stay here and help me." Sharpay replied. "It's not my fault I can't control when I get sick either Ry, you know that."

"I'm just saying is all." Ryan replied calmly. Honestly, sometimes he wondered what Zeke saw in her. Sharpay was so high-maintenance and always questioning how she looked, not to mention having a bit of an anger management issue. Ryan hated to think what would happen when it came to having kids. Hopefully Sharpay would adopt, because sometimes it looked as though she could get stressed over little things too easily. Even if one sparkle was out of place on her least favorite dress she'd throw a fit. Ryan shuddered at the thought. But hey, it was Zeke's fiancé and only Ryan's sister. He had no say in their love life. Well, he could object, but overall he had no say.

"So what if you're sick for the rest of the week?" Ryan inquired. "What about all those skits for the Senior Musical everyone had planned? Not to mention final chorus rehearsals?"

"You know, you were forced to some of those meetings for a reason." Sharpay muttered. "Hello, back-up teacher Ryan!"

Now why couldn't she have lost her voice instead of just have a fever? Ryan could only wonder. "I can't work those students like you can Shar. Sure, I'm co-head of the drama department with you, but the whole chorus thing is your area, not mine. I focus on the dancing."

"Yeah well Chorus has no dancing." Sharpay answered. "Just tell me that everything is up to speed for the week so I can plan ahead in case this cold does do me in."

Ryan sighed to himself. Ever the dramatic queen she was. He refrained himself from rolling his eyes as he briefly left the room to pick up a clipboard, which had the schedule of all major events on it. "Ok, I've got the schedule line-up first and the sheet underneath this should be the Senior Musical." he explained. He cleared his throat and started reading everything off, "Tomorrow is more rehearsals for Chprus during free period and a brief meeting to update everyone on the Senior Musical after school. Tuesday your drama class has its in-class final which means one less exam for them during exam week. Then after school it's dress rehearsal for the Senior Musical. There's another dress rehearsal for that Wednesday after school to prepare for the musical itself Thursday evening. Next up during the day Wednesday is a major practice day for your Chorus students followed by their individual exams slash performances Thursday during free period and possibly during lunch if more time is needed. And with Friday being the last official day of school that means celebration for all of our students during classes, or at least our classes. The week after that is all exams and we'll be given further notice during this week which exams we have to watch over and when our offices have to be cleaned out for the summer. Finally that Saturday is Graduation Day for the seniors so since we also have Stella and Sharon graduating we have to inform Gabriella and Chad so they can hand them diplomas."

"Details details. There's always gotta be some kind of rule where family members attending East High have to give away their siblings or relatives diplomas." Sharpay sighed, also causing a few grammatical errors in her speech due to the fever.

"Shar I really think we should go over this later. If you keep thinking too much you're going to get a headache to match that fever." Ryan stated.

"Ryan, are you the one sick in bed?" Sharpay questioned.

Ryan paused for a minute, a bit confused. He was standing, his head wasn't hurting, he was taking care of Sharpay...he hoped that didn't make him the sick sibling. "I...don't think so...."

"Exactly. Therefore, it's my body and I'll do what I want with it." Sharpay retorted.

Ryan sighed, not being given much a choice. "You're the boss."

"Now read me some of those skits for the musical." she ordered.

Ryan rolled his eyes. He turned the page on his clipboard and read from the list. "Well under the comedy portion for the musical we have Johnny and Mason, which will then have their song followed by the triplets..." he paused to try and read off all their names, "....Whose names I can't pronounce because they're in a foreign language."

"Or upside-down." Sharpay muttered.

"Huh?" Ryan asked.

"Nothing. Go on." Sharpay replied.

He turned back to the list, "You know we have a majority of the seniors doing the prom number, and we have Stella and Marco working on the romance portion of the musical which will be followed by Charlotte, Sharon, and Jessica doing their routine to dry the eyes in the house and really get the beat going. And then for a minor skit on what the students think they'll be doing after graduation there'll be Sam, Anthony, Richie, and Ashton with their band..." Ryan paused as his eyes widened. "Oh man, Ashton Kutcher is a student at East High?"

Sharpay hit her head. "No Ryan, that's Ashton Rodriguez!" she raised her voice. "Pay attention to the classes would you?"

"Oh...right...." Ryan nodded slowly, trying to recover from that. Man, one slip-up thinking of his favorite actor in high school and it follows him for life. "Ok so anyway then we're brought back to the present time with everyone portraying their dream last day of school, holding the first half of the seniors which is followed by that musical number with the other half." he continued with the list. "And finally we end it off with introducing the majority of the seniors, or at least the ones who had a part in the show, and make it similar to graduation day but much quicker and simpler with the junior chorus singing in the background."

"Fabulous." Sharpay smiled. "Ryan, everything is perfect and completely under control. I don't think we have a thing to worry about."

"Sure we don't." Ryan nodded. He heard an odd ring coming from his cell phone, indicating that he had a text message. He took it out and read the message. "And now I have to leave." he said quickly, heading for the door.

"What?" Sharpay gasped. "Ryan, I can't be fabulous on my own while I'm sick in bed for the day!"

Ryan turned to his sister. "So take a nap. It'll do you good and help you recover faster." he stated. "I have some place that I need to go."

"Can't it wait?" Sharpay demanded.

"Not really, no." he shook his head. "Shar just trust me on this?"

"Ryan!" she gasped.

"I'll be back in plenty of time to make dinner, I swear." Ryan added quickly. "See you in a few hours!" Not giving her the chance to argue again, he was out.

Sharpay huffed and folded her arms. "Fine Ryan. You wanna be that way? Then leave! Go ahead and leave and get out of my house!"

And conveniently right after that, she could hear the front door close.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"Thanks for letting us rehearse here, Troy." Stella said less than an hour later as she and the remainder of the senior chorus sat around the community theater. "We really need the practice for this, especially after Mrs. Baylor had us do the same song for graduation over and over again."

"Again, she's not hitched yet." Sharon muttered from the side.

"Guys it's no problem." Troy grinned. "Besides this gives me the chance to see if the stage can handle a little action."

"Wait, you mean it's going to explode and take us down with it?" Johnny gasped, who was sitting at the edge of the stage. "Dude, I'm gettin off this thing!" He jumped off the edge and nearly ran half way across the room.

"Man I feel sorry for whoever has to sing with him on graduation day with this skit." Sharon muttered.

Charlotte blinked and exchanged glances with Marco. "Uh Sharon...I think you're his partner for that." she stated.

"You said what now?" she gasped. "How do I get stuck with Crazy VonCrazyburg over there?"

"Well maybe if you were a little nicer to him..." Charlotte shrugged.

"And maybe if you weren't so perky all the time..." Sharon retorted.

"Maybe if there wasn't always something to tick someone off or make someone else overly happy..." Marco sang to himself.

"Guys." a voice interrupted.

The teens turned their heads to Robby, who had pretty much been the invisible student most of the time. He was the tallest of the boys in the chorus and was known to wear either baggy clothes for colder days or tight clothes for warmer days or dancing. He looked intimidating at first, but he was really much nicer than he seemed. Now Robby was walking over to the group as some dark dirty blond bangs fell in front of his face.

"Really, shouldn't we just stay calm about everything? Why does there always have to be drama with the six of us?" he asked. He looked at the other five, who were silent. "Look obviously we're not gonna be happy with every result we get. So we might as well learn to work with it all. If you don't like something, make it work."

Troy nodded and grinned at the teenager. He was a lot smarter than anyone gave him credit for. "Well said, Rob."

Robby nodded a thank you to Troy before turning back to the others. "So what do you say? How about we start working on some of those moves Mr. Evans taught us and we'll be prepared for when he comes?" he suggested. "This is all for his sister and to make it a graduation that no one will forget. It's only for the eight of us to know, and no one else. So let's not make this secret a bad kept one. Let's enjoy it while it lasts so we can build everything up to perfection."

The five exchanged glances and seemingly agreed without saying a word. It did make this most sense, after all. And even if Robby wasn't around all the time or if he was known as a quiet boy he would always speak up when it was needed most. He always said what they wanted to hear. They all then turned to look at Stella, mainly the peacemaker of the group herself. She nodded and turned to Robby.

"Robby would you like to lead the dance today?" she inquired.

"Who, me?" he blinked.

"Really." Charlotte nodded. "Sharon and I may be the best dancers here, or so Mr. Ryan says, but you're plenty good yourself. It's your turn to take the spotlight."

"What do you say?" Stella asked. "The honor's all yours today."

Robby nodded to himself as he looked around at his peers. They all seemed to agree and appeared content with the decision. He clapped his hands together quietly. "It'll be my pleasure." he agreed. He stepped closer to the group. "Ok so Marco and Stella how about you guts start off with your portion of the song? We can work on vocals in between doing the main moves. So then I'll follow with Charlotte and after Johnny and Sharon do their thing we'll wrap it up as a group."

Troy smiled as the students seemed to reach an agreement. He had to admit, Ryan and Sharpay certainly taught them well. It brought him back to his days at East High, remembering how he and his friends used to work everything out. It wouldn't be too long now before these students were in his shoes, Troy was sure.

Deciding to leave them to it, at least until Ryan arrived, Troy pulled out his phone and gave Gabriella a call. He knew she'd be home today, since it was technically her day off anyway. He smiled when he heard her answer her phone.

"Hey Wildcat." she greeted.

"Hey Gabs. How's it going?" Troy asked.

"Not bad. I'm watching Dylan right now while Taylor and Chad are out." Gabriella answered.

"Doesn't Chad have a business to run?" Troy raised an eyebrow.

"That's what I thought." Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know, maybe he's going to sell it or something."

"That'll be a sight." Troy said to himself.

"What was that?" Gabriella wondered.

"Nothing." Troy lied quickly.

"Right." she nodded slowly. "So how's it going with everyone at the theater?"

"Great actually. Ryan should be on his way over by now and one of the students is really stepping up." Troy replied. "So I thought I'd see how things were going on your end before we started working out butts off."

"Well don't work yours too hard. You'll need it in eight months." Gabriella giggled.

"I'll be sure to stay in one piece." Troy nodded with a smile. "Bet on it."

"I will." she agreed with a grin. She overheard Dylan in the background crying. "Hold on Troy." she said quickly.

Troy nodded as he heard Gabriella put the phone down for a minute. He could overhear her in the background trying to calm Dylan down. He wondered what happened. Maybe he tripped over something? Did he hit his head? Oh man, what would happen when Troy would have to deal with this? In pretty much over a year now when his own kid would be walking and everything? Dang it! No wait...it was supposed to be a happy occasion. Troy would be just that. Nervous yes, but happy as well. He had to remember that.

"Troy I'm sorry, but I have to go. I think Dylan wants Taylor." Gabriella apologized.

"Wait, he doesn't want Chad anymore?" Troy asked, now lost. Dill couldn't possibly still be hating on Chad could he?

"I don't know." Gabriella admitted. "Call me when you're finished there ok? Love you."

"Yeah. Love you too." Troy nodded. He hung up his phone as he heard the click on the other end.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"Ok Gabriella." Taylor said into her phone about fifteen minutes later. "I'll be there shortly, ok? Give me ten minutes. We're waiting on that final paperwork."

"Ok but Dylan is really asking for you." Gabriella replied uneasily.

Taylor sighed. "Ok, put him on. But then I have to hang up." she caved. Less than a minute later, Taylor was taken aback to hear Dylan crying on the other end. "Dylan what's wrong?" she asked.

"When are you coming back? I wanna go home." he moaned.

"I'll be there soon. I just have to finish up with something." Taylor promised.

"But I want you now. Taylor please." Dylan begged.

"Dylan please wait ten minutes. You have to be patient." Taylor replied. "I'm not right next door. I have to finish up here. You're fine with Gabriella."

"But I want you." Dylan sobbed.

Taylor sighed. What was it going to take to get through to him? Wait a minute.... "How about if you calm down then you can have a cookie before dinner?" she offered. Yeah, that really was a horrible idea. But just this once, if it would keep him quiet.

"Chocolate chip?" he asked hopefully.

"As soon as..." she paused. She couldn't call Chad's home their home. They weren't technically living there. And if she did call it their home then Dylan would think they'd be there to stay. But there was the problem; they weren't. Taylor sighed and moved some hair out of her face. "As soon as we leave Gabriella's house." she finished. "I'll see you soon." She sighed as she hung up her phone and leaned back in the chair of the office.

Chad looked at her, sensing some uneasiness. "Is everything ok?" he asked her.

"More or less." she muttered. "I know Dylan's still young but he has to learn that I can't always be there when he wants me to. I have other obligations."

"Of course you do." Chad nodded. "He just doesn't understand that is all."

"Remind me again why I agreed to this?" Taylor sighed.

Chad put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Because you practically are his mother. You couldn't let him go." he replied.

"Ok now you're scaring me." she scrunched her face. "What do you know about motherhood?"

"Well it all starts when they give-" Chad started.

"Please don't mention the end of that sentence." Taylor cut him off. "I know how it all starts."

"But you asked." Chad said.

"And now I'm changing it to a hypothetical question which means it doesn't have to be answered." she replied.

Chad sighed and folded his arms. "You have an answer for everything." he stated.

Taylor shrugged and smiled. "I try."

"Ah Ms. McKessie there you are." a man smiled as he walked into the room. "I just worked out the last bit of details with Brian in the other room."

Taylor straightened her position in her seat. "And?" she inquired, casually fixing her skirt.

"And everything is all said and done. And I must say, Brian couldn't be happier about his son going to someone else." the man smiled. He handed her the paperwork and left the room.

Taylor smiled as she clutched the paper in her hands. "I think this makes it all worth it." she told Chad, turning to him.

"I'd say it does." Chad grinned as he wrapped an arm around her. "Congratulations, you have a healthy baby boy." he joked.

"Very funny Chad." she rolled her eyes sarcastically. She got out of her seat and stood him down. "But seriously, the next time I hear something like that I want it to be from a real serious doctor and I want it to officially be my own. I actually want to hear that someday." She pointed her finger at his chest and had a serious look in her eyes as she said it. Taylor meant every word; she didn't want to go through the same things again and no matter who it was with, she knew what she wanted.

And obviously Chad knew, too. He stood out of his seat as Taylor poked her finger into his chest. He could see the serious look in her eyes, knowing how much she wanted it. "You will." he promised, gently taking her hand in his own. He had a soft yet serious look in his eyes and his tone indicated that he wouldn't stand in her way again, that it would eventually happen. "Believe me, you will."

* * *

Well this chapter had a bit of everyone, don't you think? It had all the six main Wildcats in it and also reminded us of S&Z. There also looked like there were a few hints of R&K, don't you think? That has to be setting up for something. But you know I'm not giving anything away, I'm just saying. And as I was typing this up I also fixed some errors I found in Chapter Seventeen. I know there's probably plenty more in the other chapters but like I said, I will get to them all when I have a chance. But at least now it's one less chapter to worry about. xD Ok so I don't know if I'll be able to get in any more chapters tonight, but like I mentioned in the pervious one, feel free to suggest ideas if you want to read something. But just so you know the definites that will be coming up before the story's end: will Troy and Gabriella decide to have their wedding before the baby is born?; when will Ryan actually get with Kelsi?; and when is Dylan gonna warm up to Chad again so the three of them can actually start to become a kind of family, or at least give hints to it before the epilogue? Ok, me is done now.


	26. Chapter 25

Ok so here we have the next chapter. I'm still hoping to get this story done before the end of the week because I have an idea for another HSM fic and yes, it will be C&T. It's random, actually, because during my economics class, I think it was on Friday, I was taking notes and I randomy think in my head, 'Oh man, I have a new idea for a story!'. Does that ever happen, when you're thinking about something else and then bam, it just hits you? That's what happened. I practically even wrote the first half of the first chapter during my break that day. So if you want, I can put a preview of that and other ideas i have at the end of this story and you'll know what's up ahead.  
But we have to stick to the story at hand because it has to get finished and there's bound to be more suspense. And yet again, I do not own HSM.

* * *

Chad grinned as he stepped into his house the next morning. He had just taken Dylan to school and, much like yesterday, Chad didn't go into work. Really, how much longer could he take running a bowling alley? He wanted something else. He wanted a change. And he thinks he was finally getting one. All Chad had to do was sell the alley and find another job. It shouldn't be too hard.

"Hey Tay." he greeted, seeing Taylor sitting at the couch with her laptop at hand. "Whatchya doin?"

"Looking for good houses to buy here or at least within the area I'm most familiar with." Taylor replied, eyes never moving from the screen. "I already left a message with real estate about wanting to sell my place."

"You know, you don't necessarily have to find a new place." Chad said casually, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, very funny." Taylor said sarcastically. "Really, how does one live somewhere when they have no place to live? I'm not going to raise Dylan on the streets."

Chad couldn't help but chuckle. "Wow, you're really taking to this mother thing."

"I could say the same thing with you and the father thing." Taylor replied.

"Point taken." Chad nodded. He sat down beside Taylor on the couch. "C'mon Tay, really."

"Chad, I'm going back home next month. I think I need to find something soon." Taylor replied.

"Next month?" Chad blinked. "But you practically just got here."

"A couple of weeks ago." Taylor corrected. "You know..."

"You have a life back with the college, I know." Chad sighed. "Weren't you planning on moving here?"

"Well I kind of need to go back to sell my place, you know. And inform my boss I'll be quitting." she answered.

"So are you gonna be back for Sharpay's and Zeke's big day?" he wondered.

"Of course I'll come back for it. I just don't know if I'll be back by then." Taylor said.

This wasn't going where Chad wanted it to. He had to get through to her somehow. Did he really have to be straight forward about it? He sighed; apparently so.

"You know you don't have to move." he finally said.

Taylor stopped typing for a brief moment. What was he talking about? Of course she'd have to move. She shook her head and resumed typing. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Actually I do." Chad replied. He took a deep breath, "I was hoping maybe you could move in with me."

Taylor sat there wide-eyed. She stopped what she was doing and spun to face Chad. "What?"

Chad blinked, not getting the response that he was hoping for. He gulped and repeated the question. "Move in with me?"

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"What do you mean we can't do anything after we officially graduate?" Stella gasped at East High. "We had everything planned. We've been practicing for a while now."

"Stella you don't get it." Sharpay shook her head. "Things have changed since I was a senior here. You can't just burst into song after the principal announces you've graduated."

"But Mrs. Baylor..." Stella started.

"No buts, Stella. You can't do anything and that's final. You're going to follow graduation procedures. Understood?" Sharpay asked.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." she shook her head. "Your Chorus students, the ones you have been training for practically four years now, have worked hard on this. We were going to sing about how high school affected us and what it meant for each of us. We were going to show you what it meant to all of us, how well all of our voices work not just together but also in duets and alone. Why won't you let us showcase that for you on one of the most important days of our lives?"

"Ms. Montez," Sharpay's voice became stern, "you are not going to talk back to me. Now remember that this is also a very stressful week and you have too many other things on your plate to handle. You graduate a week from Saturday. Don't mess it up before then."

"But Mrs. Baylor..." she tried again.

"And another thing, you are not to address me as that until I'm officially married. I am still Ms. Evans and that will remain true for the remainder of the school year. Do I make myself clear?"

Stella tried to hold her ground. She knew Sharpay could have a temper, she really did. She just never expected to actually see it in school. During school hours. At school. Why was she making a big deal out of this? Was it nerves? Was it because of all the papers she was grading right then? Did something happen in her family? Was it just a bad time? Was she having mood swings?

"Now leave this classroom and get to your next class." Sharpay finished. "I have papers to finish grading and I believe you have a History review to get to."

"AP Government review, actually." she politely and quietly corrected.

"Whatever." Sharpay rolled her eyes and shook her head. She removed her gaze from Stella and returned to the papers.

Stella sighed and left the drama classroom defeated. She could see her five peers in the hallway, waiting on her expecting an answer.

"So what'd she say?" Johnny asked eagerly. "Do we have a song?"

"We have nothing, Johnny. Mrs. Baylor didn't approve it." Stella sighed.

"What?" Sharon gasped. "After we work our fu-"

"Sharon." Stella warned, folding her arms and cocking an eyebrow.

Sharon sighed heavily. "Are we work our firetruckin butts off to get those dance moves right and hit the keys on the song perfectly, especially all day yesterday, the answer to our request is no?"

"Well what choice do we have?" Charlotte wondered. "She's our teacher and we can't go against her wishes. That could also be disrespecting her."

"So where's your perkiness today?" Sharon asked sarcastically.

Charlotte shrugged. "Maybe she's just in a bad mood and will come to us when she changes her mind."

"I don't think that's very likely." Robby stated. "While it is wishful thinking, there is a lot of doubt that it isn't going to happen."

"But what about Mr. Ryan, too?" Stella asked. "He approved it, why not his own sister?"

"She is a lot harder on us than Mr. Ryan is." Johnny stated. "She didn't almost start cursing at me to put my camera away. Mr. Ryan at least gave me a warning first."

"Or maybe it's not even his fault." Charlotte suggested. "Maybe there was a change in rules he wasn't aware of."

"So we're just gonna sit back and let them boss us around for one more week?" Sharon questioned.

"Two weeks, if you count finals week." the blond corrected.

"Oh sure, now your happy-go-luckiness shows up." Sharon muttered sarcastically.

"Guys why do we even try to fight this?" Marco asked. "It's the last week of school, we can't go getting into trouble."

"So what do you suggest?" Stella wondered. "There has to be a way we can still go through with this."

"Well if we can't do it at graduation itself then maybe we can do it another time that day. When everyone will be there." he proposed.

"Like when? Afterparty at your cousin's coffee shop?" Johnny asked.

"There's no afterparty at her coffee shop." Marco replied.

"But Troy did suggest a celebration as part of the grand opening of the community theater he'd been working on for so long." Stella said with a smile.

"And you're going where with this, exactly?" Robby inquired. "That we actually perform right in there with some of our classmates and their families there?"

"Well Mrs. Baylor is sure to be there. We know Mr. Ryan will be. Troy's going to be there, Gabriella's going to be there, our families are going to be there..." Stella explained.

"Oh cool, devilish master plan!" Johnny exclaimed. "Does that mean I can sneak into the girl's bathroom and record what it's really like in there?"

The five looked at him. Their looks with either confused or disgusted.

"Sick much, man?" Robby asked.

"I'm just suggesting." Johnny said defensively.

"I'll save you the trouble of lookin." Sharon said. "They're small, they're cramped, they smell like too much perfume or some kind of dirty laundry, and in really fancy places they can have a couch or chair inside. Happy?"

"You get a couch in your bathroom?" Johnny gasped. "Dang, the boy's room never had one of those!"

Sharon hit her head and Marco moved some bangs out of his face, trying not to seem frustrated. "Stel, can you please move on with your suggestion before we lose our breakfast?" he begged.

"Why don't we just perform for everyone then?" Stella asked.

"Because performing as much as we had to already is enough for half a lifetime?" Sharon shrugged.

"No, because then Mrs. Baylor can't stop us. She'll have to watch us." Stella replied.

"I'm still a bit skeptical." Robby admitted. "It's not exactly what we had planned."

"So we'll improvise." Charlotte jumped in. "Come on, we have nothing to lose. We've all been looking forward to this. And if they can improvise in a live show then why can't we? We've been a team practically since freshmen, if not, sophomore year. Don't you think we're in this together?"

"It's our final stand before leaving East High forever." Stella added. "so what do you guys say? Are you in or not?" She and Charlotte glanced at the four. Each of the other students exchanged glances, wondering if they could work it out. But they all had to agree.

Marco was the first to speak up. "I'm in." he agreed. "We're doing this to sum up our years at East High and really make it special not just for us, but for the people who helped us make it special. They had our backs the whole time. So now we can really thank them for that, whether they hear it in the song or not."

Robby nodded as he followed through. "I have to admit, I still have my doubts about the plan." he stated. "But we can't completely make it a graduation party without our own beat to it. And it's not just us who are gonna be there. Mr. Ryan and Ms. Evans went to school here, not to mention Troy, Chad, and Gabriella. And I think we owe it to them to show how far East High has come along since they graduated. The school may be changing for next year and they may have already started working on a small portion of the area, but why can't we be the last ones to leave their legacy behind for future classes?"

"Well said Robby." Stella nodded with a smile.

"Two down, two to go." Charlotte added. "Sharon, Johnny? How about it guys?"

"I don't know, I'd really rather not get my head bitten off by my drama teacher." Johnny shook his head. He saw the looks on his friends' faces. "But you know something? We're already outnumbered so I don't think that gives us much of a choice. We might as well go for it and leave our senior year cheering."

Sharon just folded her arms, still looking doubtful.

"Come on, Sharon." Stella said. "Five against one. You know you wanna be in with us. We're a team remember? All of us. We stick together."

Sharon remained silent. Even though mainly her profile was facing the others, she appeared deep in some kind of thought. She tapped her fingers against her folded arms and her tongue was clicking in her mouth as though it were mocking the sound of a clock. Finally, she turned her head towards them slightly with a miniature grin. "What team?" she asked.

They exchanged confused glances before turning back to her.

Sharon shook her head and turned to face the group fully. "Guys, what team?"

And they knew exactly what she was talking about. "Wildcats." they replied in unison.

"Oh is that all you guys got?" Sharon sighed. "What team?"

"Wildcats!" they repeated much louder. The six placed their hands on top of one another. "Wildcats!" they repeated with huge grins.

"Now let's get our heads in the game." Sharon finished.

They ran off, making their way to their respective classes. What they didn't know was that Ryan was listening in the whole time. He smiled as he appeared from around the corner, leaning up against the wall and folding his arms contently.

About a minute later, Sharpay walked out of her classroom and her eyes fell on her brother. "Ryan what was going on out here?" she asked, thinking she had heard something.

"Let's just graduation for our kids is really gonna be a day to remember." he answered with a grin.

* * *

Not much excitement in this chapter, but it was the only idea i had for the moment. Besides, I thought it would raise tension a bit. So you're probably seeing a resemblance between the new Wildcats and the older ones, right? Good. Wait until you see what song they're gonna sing. And when the graduation chapter comes along, you'll find out what the deal is with Troy and Gabriella for sure. So who does that leave? Well we already know Sharpay and Zeke. And we're bound to see Kelsi and Ryan soon. 0=) Finally, we're at a cliffhanger with Chad and Taylor. How does she respond to Chad;s suggestion? And are there any more surprises coming our way? We'll find out shortly! I'll try and get in one more chapter tonight and see where that goes, so hopefully it'll be longer, more eventful, and more entertaining than this one. XD


	27. Chapter 26

Yup, second update tonight. I'm really insistent on finishing this and leaving the story on a good note. So this will be a filler chapter before we move onto the big leagues and start wrapping it up. That also means not only will you learn about Troy and Gabriella but you were also get more hints about Ryan and Kelsi, see Taylor's reaction to Chad's suggestion, and...oh wait, maybe that's it. Oh wait, I'm missing Sharpay and Zeke aren't I? xD Silly me, better put them in, too. And no, I still down's own HSM.

* * *

Gabriella tapped her pen against the kitchen table as she waited for an answer on the other line. She had just placed in a call to make an appointment to check on the baby, knowing that she put it off too long already. Granted, a month into the pregnancy wasn't the biggest deal in the world, but to Gabriella it was a bad idea to even wait twenty-nine days. She sighed heavily as she continued waiting for an answer.

"Gabriella calm down." Troy said from the seat he was at. "They probably have other calls to take and that's why you're waiting so long."

"But I can't wait any longer." Gabriella whispered. "I've waited long enough already. Besides I have to be at work in an hour and I really want to make an appointment official before I go."

"Gabs everything's gonna be fine." Troy promised. "Just relax."

Gabriella sighed and nodded. "Ok." she agreed. And luckily, that's when there was finally a response on the other line. It took about five minutes and Gabriella thought she had an appointment down. "Wait, no that day won't work." she realized. "My cousin's graduating that day, I have to be there. It's this Saturday. Do you have anything before then available?"

Troy raised an eyebrow as he heard Gabriella's end of the conversation. Guess there was some kind of snag or something. He hoped everything turned out right in the end because the last thing Gabriella needed was stress. The bright side? She didn't get stressed that easily. The down side? Does mood swings ring a bell?

Gabriella sighed as she finally gave in. "Sure, next Sunday's good too, I suppose. Thanks." She hung up the phone and turned to Troy. "The earliest opening they had was this Saturday. The next best day I could get is a week from Sunday."

"That's close enough, Gabs." Troy said. "You're still getting examined and you're gonna know for sure that everything's fine."

"You can't promise that everything will be fine, Troy." she shook her head. "You don't know everything."

"Maybe not." Troy admitted. He stood up and took Gabriella's hands. "But I know you're gonna be fine, and this is all gonna work out perfectly. Now about names..."

"Oh no Troy, we are not talking names until we know whether it's a boy or a girl." Gabriella interrupted, shaking her finger.

"But we really should plan ahead. I was hoping we could name him after my dad..." Troy started, playfully whining.

"Can we see what it is first?" Gabriella asked. "And speaking of the baby, that brings up another issue."

"And what would that be?" Troy wondered.

"A day for the wedding." she answered. "The question is, should we get married before or after having the baby?"

"I'd say before would be the best choice." Troy shrugged. "We can talk more about that after we find out the due date, so we can definitely have it after Sharpay's and Zeke's wedding."

"Sounds like a fair compromise." she agreed. "Oh, and also living arrangements. We have to see if we'll move into one of our houses or buy a new one together. And of course we'll also have to plan the wedding..."

"Let's leave the wedding planning up to Sharpay." Troy suggested with a chuckle.

Gabriella smiled and nodded. "I think we can sacrifice one special day of our lives." She looked at her watch, "And I should get ready for work."

"But you've got plenty of time..." Troy started.

"I'd prefer to leave before I get calls from anyone. I don't want to get caught up in any friends' drama, you know?" she replied with a playful wink.

"Trust me Gabs, you'll only get caught up in my drama." he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. "Now how about I help you get changed...?"

Gabriella laughed and playfully pushed him away as she headed up the stairs. "Only in your dreams, Troy." She briefly turned to him and smiled. "Or at least not until after we're married."

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Ryan paced around backstage of the auditorium during lunch period. Well, not really a lunch period. His lunch break. Hey, he only had a half hour in between the first exam he proctored and the next one he had to watch. It was his lunch break. But ironically, Ryan wasn't even eating. He was pacing around the room with his cell phone bobbling up and down in his hand. His hat was tilted down, only slightly covering his eyes, and his free hand was rubbing his chin. Ryan appeared deep in thought, as though he were having a silent conversation with himself. He stopped dead in his tracks, thinking he had something.

"Hey, you know about graduation this Saturday for my students? I was wondering if you could help us...I mean them..." Ryan decided. He slapped himself on the head, mentally scolding himself. Man he sounded so lame. Why was he even making a big deal out of this. He asked for help before. Maybe because it was such a big deal? Maybe because she could be too busy to help? There had to be another way to ask.

"Hey, my students are doing a skit to celebrate their graduation. Maybe you could accompany them...?" he slapped himself again. No, no, no! He didn't want it to sound like she was just a side deal. She'd be just as important as the students singing. She'd be the melody, the tune they'd fill in. She'd be the background but she'd be center stage and the one who ran the whole thing. Ryan would be the rhythm and she would be the flow. Surely there had to be another way.

"Talking to yourself again?"

Ryan jumped and gasped. Luckily when he spun around it was only Sharpay. He sighed with relief. "Don't do that Shar. You scared me."

Sharpay only smiled and rolled her eyes. "Trying to figure out what agent person or whoever you talk to can get you a deal for that hat emporium?"

Ryan sighed. They'd been so busy with school and especially their senior classes that he never had a chance to continue with his search for the perfect hat store. But it was all worth it. The Senior Musical went off without a hitch; everything was perfect. The students danced like they never danced before and they sang their hearts out. It was just as magical as when Ryan and Sharpay were in their Senior Musical with everyone else. It was really something special.

But he had to snap out of his daydream to reply to Sharpay. "Salesman, actually." he corrected. "No word on any free spaces yet and I'm still out of the hat game."

"Do you really think you can handle that emporium?" she asked. "It seems to be driving you crazy if you're talking to yourself."

"Oh, no I wasn't..." Ryan started quickly.

"Well then what were you doing?" Sharpay asked.

"Nothing." Ryan lied.

Sharpay folded her arms and looked at him doubtfully. "Ryan, you're my brother. We're twins. There's no way you can get anything past me so easily."

"Ok, point taken." Ryan nodded. "I'm just waiting for the right time to make a call."

"Just a call? Yeah right." she replied.

"Shar, trust me. It's no big deal." Ryan said.

Sharpay's eyes widened. "OH EM GEE, Ryan are you calling-?" She was interrupted as her phone rang. She sighed and picked it up angrily. "What?" she yelled. She blinked of embarrassment she she heard a confused Zeke on the other line. "Zeke I am so sorry!" she apologized. "No, of course I'm not mad at you. I was just talking to Ryan." Ryan rolled his eyes as he heard his sister's silence, awaiting Zeke's response. "Sure, lunch sounds great today." Sharpay smiled widely as she started walking out. "The last exam finishes up at two. Think we can meet at your place for a late meal? I am craving some of your chicken and Caesar salad..."

Ryan sighed with relief once Sharpay was gone and out of earshot. That was a close one; he'd almost been caught. He took another look at his cell phone and slowly began dialing a number. He put the phone to his ear as he waited in silence, hearing nothing but the dial tone on the other end.

"Hi, it's Kelsi. Sorry, I can't come to the phone right now. But leave a message and I'll call you back as soon as I get the chance."

Ryan sighed. It was her voicemail. Why was he even making a big deal out of this? It was just Kelsi, the girl who was practically his sister. Why was he so nervous? Maybe he would say something and it would come out the wrong way. Or maybe he would use the wrong tone, like act cool and collected instead of like he really wanted to see her and not just ask for her help. Well of course he wanted to see her, that was a give-in. Kelsi was hardly ever around anymore because of her job. And since she was all sisterly to Ryan and everything he still wanted to be with her and he still missed her. And everyone was paired up but him. Seeing everyone back together, it just made him feel more complete with Kelsi around. Wait a minute, what was this guy even thinking? He had a message to leave before it was too late!

"Hey Kels, it's Ryan." he said. "I was just calling to ask if you could make it home in time for Saturday. There's this thing with my students and...well I was hoping we could team up again. They've got the dance moves and the song down but I think they'd be honored to have you as a pianist for them. I mean, I know you probably need a break and everything but..." Oh man, he was rambling now. And time was ticking before he would hear the beep and his message would end. "...but maybe just for old time's sake? It'd be really great to see you again and team up. You know, like I just said five seconds ago.... Uh anyway, call me back when you get the chance. Talk to you soon, bye."

Ryan practically scrambled in his good-bye as he hung up his phone, assuming how stupid he sounded. If there was a bright side to it, it was that Kelsi saw him in stupider moments. Even if it was when they were just younger. And then Ryan had to remain in reality when he heard the announcement.

"Proctors, please report to the gym for the next exam. We have fifteen minutes before the students enter in for the next exam."

Yup, the principal. He wanted to make sure all the teachers would make it to the exam room and have everything set up in time. Ryan sighed, wondering why he was even stuck watching over a science exam. He knew nothing about science. Except that E=MC² but really, who didn't know that anymore with all the shows and posters that mentioned it? And Ryan still didn't know what it meant, everyone just knew the equation. Finally sighing, Ryan slowly left the auditorium and made his way to the gymnasium.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"So do you move in before or after I move out?"

Taylor picked her head up from her laptop to see Sharon standing behind the couch. Her arms were rested against the top sofa cushions and Taylor was sitting on the couch, once again working from her laptop. Taylor held in a sigh, wishing that Sharon hadn't asked that. She had been avoiding that all week, at least, not once giving an answer to Chad. It was rude, maybe, but Taylor couldn't answer. Part of her said it was moving too fast and the other part of her didn't even want to leave just to sell her old place. She didn't know which side to choose.

"Never." she finally answered, shaking her head. "I'm not moving in. I'm going to go back to sell my pad near Oxford and then I'll find a house here for me and Dylan. We'll be out of here before you know it."

"Funny, because Chad seemed pretty excited when you wanted to stay here." Sharon replied.

"Don't try to set me up again. We have an understanding, we're not completely getting along." Taylor shook her head.

"I know." she shrugged. "But it's not my fault I had a test from eight to ten a.m. today and it was a killer on me. Now you know what softens me up."

"Still, I don't need this from you now." Taylor replied. "Mind leaving?"

"Uh yeah, I do mind." Sharon nodded. "Do you gotta be such a stubborn a-hole?"

"You realize there's a child upstairs, right?" Taylor inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Dylan just finished school yesterday and he really shouldn't be hearing that kind of tongue."

"Hey he will eventually and you know it." Sharon said. "The only people who I know that don't curse are Stella and Charlotte."

"Don't forget Gabriella. She makes us improvise every time." Taylor shook her finger.

"Yeah, Stella did that with me, too. I had to replace f****** with firetruckin." Sharon replied.

"What did I say about that language?" Taylor asked.

"It was an example, gees." she rolled her eyes. "No need to get huffy over it.

"I'm not huffy." Taylor replied. "Just distracted."

"Yeah, I can only imagine why." Sharon said sarcastically. "How about getting a grip?"

"How about butting out?" she retorted.

"Fine, but don't say I wasn't giving you my input on one of my better days." Sharon shrugged.

"Hey, no fighting in the house." Chad sighed as he came down the stairs. "Dill will hear you."

"I know, dingus." Sharon replied.

Taylor looked at Chad and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't ask." he shook his head, answering her unasked questioned. "She's been watching too many Simpsons and Family Guy."

"Sure she's not the only one?" Taylor inquired.

"I didn't ask you to live with me because I'm overpowered with cartoons." Chad said defensively.

"Oh so that's why you're giving up your bowling alley?" Sharon asked with a smile, knowing that was going to start something.

"You're going to what?" Taylor gasped as her head shot back to Chad from her laptop. "Chad Danforth what are you thinking?"

"I was thinking it was time for a new start." Chad replied. "I'm done with that alley. I'll give it to the assistant manager, he'll take over."

"What kind of bone-headed move is that?" Taylor questioned.

"I thought with you living here, it'd be the perfect chance to make a fresh start. For the both of us." Chad explained. "You move in and get a new job, we raise Dylan together, I give up the bowling alley and get a new job, and Sharon moves out for college."

"First of all, hello I'm still standing right here." Sharon interrupted, raising her hand. "Second of all, how are you two going to raise a kid that's not technically your's and you're not technically a family?"

"We'd work something out. Now shut up." Chad replied to his sister before turning back to Taylor.

"Chad that's not a plan. That's reckless and not thinking ahead." Taylor informed him.

"I was thinking ahead. I was thinking something better for both of us. Anything would be better than what we both have now." Chad replied. "You all the way at Oxford University and me here running a bowling alley I never even wanted. Really, how were we happy with that?"

Taylor just tilted her head and gave him a doubtful look. "Don't go assuming everything right off the bat Chad." she told him. "Now maybe, on your lunkheaded terms I can see where you're coming from. But that's still no excuse to just rush in and decide on everything. Or assuming that I'd move in with you."

"So you're just gonna blame a guy for trying?" Chad asked.

"No." she shook her head. "I'm going to blame a guy for being the unpredictable lunkheaded basketball man that he is."

"You forget, I don't play basketball anymore." Chad muttered, looking away and folding his arms.

"Maybe not. But you're still my lunkhead basketball man." Taylor replied calmly, kissing him on the cheek. And as an added bonus, it got his mind off of talking to her about moving in. Did she know how to work her magic or what? If Chad wasn't sitting beside her right now Taylor would so be smiling at the thought.

Chad smiled and shrugged modestly. "It's what I do."

Sharon rolled her eyes at the two. Good thing they weren't going further with their love scene or she'd be out of there in a millisecond.

And now there was silence in the room. Chad had crossed his legs as he leaned back on the couch, Taylor resumed typing on her laptop, and Sharon was leaning forward on the back of the couch still, staring at the blank TV screen. The silence was then broken as a scream and then BANG was heard from upstairs.

"MOM! DAD!" a voice cried from upstairs.

Chad blinked and raised an eyebrow. "What was that?" he asked.

"That was the kid calling for you guys." Sharon shrugged as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Oh, is that all?" Taylor asked, thinking she heard Sharon differently.

"Yeah, we thought it was something important." Chad chuckled, under the same impression.

Silence fell in the room again. Sharon looked at her watch as she started counting backwards from three to one quietly. As she slowly fainted from the two to the one, she smirked as she saw Chad and Taylor shot up in their sears. The adults exchanged worried glances.

"Dylan!" they gasped simultaneously as they rushed upstairs.

"Took em long enough." the teen muttered once they were out of the living room. Sh jumped over the couch and rested her head on one of the arms, stretching out her legs so when they came back down there'd be no room. Ever the mischievous little sister. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV, beginning to flip through the channels. Sharon could only wonder what the big deal was.

Chad and Taylor ran upstairs to see Dylan laying face down on the hallway floor. Chad held Dylan up with one of his hands and Taylor got down to his level, reaching out to hold him. Dylan jumped into her arms, clutching Chad's hand with one of his own tiny ones.

"What happened, kiddo?" Chad asked. "You ok?"

"There was a giant bug in my room." Dylan replied, slowly calming down. "So I ran out and closed the door and then I tripped over something and fell."

"Giant bug?" Chad asked, confused.

"It was probably a cricket or some kind of arachnid." Taylor suggested. She loked at Chad, "How about you go get it out of his room?"

"I don't wanna see a creepy bug." Dylan moaned. "Don't take it out."

"Alright then. Well take you downstairs and by the time you come back up here, the big bad bug will be all gone." Taylor promised. "Now what did you trip over?"

Dylan pointed to a basketball which was now over to the side, slightly behind where they were sitting.

Taylor sighed. "Chad do you ever clean up in here?" she asked.

"I'm sorry." Chad apologized. "I'll move the ball somewhere else and get rid of the bug or whatever it is." He looked behind him where the ball was and kicked it with the edge of his foot, at least where he could reach it. He watched as it slowly rolled down the hallway to his closed bedroom door. Chad held in a sigh as he watched it roll; he could already see everything to do with it slowly slipping away. He shook his head and turned to Dylan. "But you really should watch where you're going next time."

"And please don't scare us like that." Taylor added.

Dylan nodded as he buried his head in Taylor's shoulder, gripping Chad's hand tighter. "Ok Mom and Dad."

Chad and Taylor looked at each other with confused and slightly shocked expressions. It had finally sunk in. Dylan had called them his mom and dad. Their eyes fell on Dylan again. Taylor kept her arms around him, gently pulling him onto her lap. Chad held onto Dylan's hand as he wanted and wrapped his other arm around Taylor.

"It's ok Dill." Taylor promised softly, taking in their real family moment. "Mom and Dad have you."

"Yeah." Chad nodded in agreement quietly. "We've got you, son."

* * *

Wow how much of that did you really see coming? I was typing this up for a couple of hours, continuously playing similar scenes from what I had typed up over and over again to see what would work out. So then every page break I tried to picture what would happen next. And you do know I own nothing I mentioned in this chapter, right? And of course I had to censor out curse words. I don't type those words...ok, except for once accident when I made a typo on "shirt" or something. But again, that was an accident, and it was all fixed. And this will be the last chapter for the night, so the next one will be coming up ASAP tomorrow. I'm thinking of moving onto fraduation for the next chapter, and then you know the story will almost be over. Sorry, but it had to end eventually, and this was the longest story I've written so far. I'm glad it's turning out so well though. ^^ Oh man, I'm making the a/n too long again aren't I? Ok, I'm shutting up now till the morning!


	28. Chapter 27

So last chapter had a bit more to it. I think I'll be able to get in two chapters today, so I'll see if that'll be the end or not. T_T And this story was going so well, too. I love the compliments and positive energy from everyone. And believe me, you know I will thank everyone again for reviews before the story is done. Now before we move onto the chapter, this is going to be the graduation chapter. So for the teens' singing voices if you wanna pretend to hear them, I'll give a list. Even if Marco does talk with an accent, think Drew Seely; Stella, think Paulina (you know, from Disney Channel Spain, I believe?); Robby think Johnny Pacar; Charlotte I think Taylor Swift; Sharon think Kiely Williams; and Johnny think Chris Bron. Yeah, they're all typical ones but it was all I could come up with. I'm music intolerant, I really think. So enough with this, and let's move onto the story.  
And again HSM is not mine.

* * *

"I can't believe today's finally here!" Gabriella exclaimed Saturday morning as she saw her cousin walk into her house in the familiar red robe. "You're actually graduating today!"

Stella smiled sheepishly and nodded. "It feels kind of weird." she admitted. "This is really the last day we'll set foot at East High."

"Yeah but look at the occasion." Troy put in. "And Gabriella actually gets to hand you your diploma. How cool is that?"

"I would say very cool." Stella replied with a smile and a nod.

"Not to mention valedictorian of your class, too." Gabriella smiled.

"Yeah, she's definitely a Montez." Troy told her with a smile. "Runs in the family, I guess."

"So does that mean my new cousin is going to be a genius, too?" Stella inquired.

Gabriella giggled. "We won't know for a few years. And I'm only a month long, Stel." she replied. "Give it a chance ok?"

"Ok Gabriella, I know." Stella nodded.

"And don't you worry about a thing. You're going to give a great speech." she supported.

"Thanks. I think I needed to hear that." Stella nodded. She heard a car horn from outside. "That's my mom." she sighed. "She warned me about staying here too long. She wants to get good seats by the football field."

"Well tell her we'll meet you guys there soon." Gabriella said. "We wouldn't miss this for the word."

"And even if I'll be in Utah for college I still wouldn't miss seeing my new cousin's first days for the world." Stella replied with a smile. "See you guys soon."

Troy turned to Gabriella as Stella left. "This really brings back memories doesn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah, it does." she nodded in agreement. "It seemed like just yesterday we were heading to university and now my cousin is doing the same."

"Do you think Jason's wishing them the best, too?" Troy wondered.

"I know he is." Gabriella said. "He gets to see those Wildcats graduate every year and move on. It must be so amazing to see how much East High has changed and see all that time fly by. But at the same time it must be so hard to just watch it all go and not being able to experience everything the way we did."

"Should we go visit him before the ceremony and tell him about us?" Troy asked. "I think he deserves to hear."

"I think he deserves to see what you've done, too." Gabriella added with a smile. "Let's take him to the community theater with us later. He can watch everything."

"Take him from his memorial? No way." Troy gasped.

"Just for a couple of hours. He wants to see our family back together, doesn't he?" Gabriella replied.

Troy had to give in and nod. "Alright. But if he's freaking out about why he's moving in a car instead of safe on his place, you'll be the one in trouble.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

It wasn't long before everyone was back at East High's football field. Everything was set up from the bleachers to the chairs to the podium. Not a single thing was out of place. Red and white robes slowly began surrounding the chairs facing the podium. Everything was going perfectly, just as Gabriella could remember it when they graduated.

_"Fifteen minutes, students!" one of the teachers called as he passed by the graduating class in the hallway. "Prepare to stand in alphabetical order and fill the seats. The ceremony begins in fifteen minutes!"_

_Zeke raised an eyebrow once the teacher was gone. "Does he really think everyone's gonna get in alphabetical order? That puts me last."_

_"They're going by last names, Zeke. You'll be near the front." Gabriella giggled._

_"Oh man, so us at the beginning gotta wait forever for people at the end to graduate!" Jason complained._

_"Dude, just be glad you're graduating." Chad joked. "One more failure and Darbus probably would've kicked you back to sophomore year."_

_"Hey who cares?" Jason asked. "I'm gonna be up there with you guys. We're throwing our hats off together."_

_"Oh, and we can't forget about the celebration tomorrow." Kelsi added. "There's going to be so much music and food..."_

_"And we're gonna party all day long!" Chad sang._

_Taylor shook her head. "It starts at two in the afternoon, Chad."_

_"Oh..right. I knew that." Chad lied, standing up straight._

_"And do you know how you're gonna get that hat on your head?" Troy teased, pointing to the graduation cap Chad was holding._

_Chad blinked as he looked at his hat, then patted his hair. "Do I really have to put it on?" he moaned. "You know I don't tie my hair back except for baseball and something major."_

_"I'd say this qualifies as something major." Troy shrugged. "C'mon Chad, tie it back."_

_"You kidding? No way!" Chad gasped. "This baby needs to roam free!"_

_"Ok, I'll make this nice and clear for you Danforth." Sharpay informed him. "Take care of the fro, or you won't reach your diploma because you'll be in here out cold for the next five years."_

_Chad folded his arms stubbornly. "I think I will take my chances."_

_"Guys, who cares?" Gabriella spoke up. "This is one of the most important days of our lives. Can't we just enjoy our last moments as seniors together before we go out there and officially graduate?"_

_"She has a point." Ryan stated. "This is the day we've been waiting for. Why ruin it now?"_

_"I say let's go out there and kick some graduatin butt!" Jason exclaimed._

_"And no matter what happens today or over the summer, nothing's going to change between us. We're still all in this together and we always will be." Troy added, ever the leader._

_"Now what team?" Chad asked proudly._

_"Wildcats!" they answered._

_"What team?" Chad repeated._

_"Wildcats!" they raised their voices._

_"What team?" he asked one more time._

_"Wildcats!" they exclaimed._

_"Wildcats!"_

_"Get'cha head in the game!"_

_And at that moment, everyone was forced into line. The graduation ceremony had begun. The students took their seats as the principal began his speech, being the first one to talk. The students listened intently and his words touched them. Even Sharpay's and Ryan's dog Boi was sitting at one of the chairs for graduation and he looked just as excited. Once the principal was done speaking, Taylor gave her speech as salutatorian and class president followed by Gabriella as valedictorian. Their speeches were inspiring and really got to everyone. After their speeches, it was the more dull ones, at least to the students. The assistant principal, head of board of education, and governor of New Mexico all gave speeches to the graduating class. Finally, it was Troy who gave his speech. He had asked to present something to the people he had practically grown up with and, having contributed so much to the school in his four years there, the faculty agreed to let him do so. Last but not least, it was time to hand the students their diplomas. The class slowly rose from their seats as they went up to the stage, row by row, to obtain that slip of paper. Still they weren't in alphabetical order but no one seemed to care, considering the occasion._

_"We are now pleased to present the class of 2008 with their diplomas." Principal Matsui announced. "I have seen the work and effort these kids have put into everything they've done at my school and they will truly be missed. There will never be another class like them and I am thrilled that their experience here at East High was so memorable. So now, if the students will please line up to receive their diplomas. As you come up and get yours I will move the tassel on your cap, signifying that you have officially graduated."_

_The audience was asked to hold in their applause for each single student and wait until the last one had their diploma in hand before cheering. But Jason had to let out a cheer as he received his diploma. Everyone laughed slightly and even the principal couldn't help but smile. Gabriella could feel her eyes tearing up as she stepped to get her diploma, having such a hard time believing that this was the end. And with Chad's hat still in his hand, not being able to fit onto his head, everyone had to laugh as he held up the cap to the principal so he could move the tassel. And Troy couldn't look happier as he received his diploma from his own father, his gym teacher, his coach. It was a moment he would be proud of forever._

_And as the students returned to their seats, no one sat down. They remained standing, knowing what was coming next. The anticipation rose and the excitement between everyone grew. And then Principal Matsui made the announcement._

_"We now present to you East High School's graduating class of 2008." he declared. "Congratulations to all students!"_

_Everyone let out loud cheers as their caps were throw into the air and they jumped out of their seats. They rushed to friends and family members to hug them, and the families had to snap as many pictures as they could at once. And finally, to celebrate the occasion, all of the students burst into the song and put on a show that East High would never forget. It truly was the perfect graduation._

And even though the ceremony Gabriella was seeing now was so simple ad traditional, even as she was handing her cousin that diploma and pulled her in for a quick hug, even as the new principal was about to officially welcome the graduating class to the audience, it was still a perfect graduation.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

Five p.m. at the community theater and it was packed. Decorations in red and white were all over and there was plenty of food and drinks to go around. Everywhere someone turned there was a student from East High, a family member, or one of the formal Wildcats. Everyone was all over the place. The most empty space was the stage as Ryan set up a piano, which he was hoping Kelsi would come to use. But so far he hadn't heard anything from Kelsi. Maybe she wasn't coming....

"Mr. Ryan?" Stella asked as she walked up to him.

Ryan head shot up as he turned to the teen. "Sorry. Guess I'm just a little stressed." he admitted.

"I know. I am, too." Stella had to agree. But she couldn't imagine why Ryan was stressed; he wouldn't be the one on stage performing for everyone. "But we wanted to know when to get started. We're ready whenever you are."

"I don't know yet." Ryan admitted, running his fingers through his hair under his hat.

"Well, let us know ok?" Stella asked.

"Sure." he nodded. As he saw Stella walk away, Ryan sighed and made his way to the back room. He closed the door behind him once he was in and sighed once more.

"I never thought I'd see you so tense."

Ryan's head jerked up at the voice. He knew that voice. There was no way. It couldn't be.... But it was. Ryan looked straight ahead and his eyes fell on Kelsi, who was standing behind the table in there. It looked like she had been sitting there the whole time and got up when she saw Ryan walk in.

"Kels? No way!" he gasped. He walked over to her, "When did you...?"

"I got your message. Well, messages rather." she stated.

Ryan smiled sheepishly. Yeah, he had left more than one message when she didn't return the first one after that one exam. "You didn't call back."

"I had a really busy schedule." she admitted. "I didn't get the chance to. I just got in a couple of hours ago. I would have been here sooner, but I was in Chicago and there was a delay with my plane. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the graduation."

"No, no. It's fine, really." Ryan replied. "Everyone's gonna be glad that you're here now."

Kelsi couldn't help but smile. She loved working with Ryan. He was always so supportive and welcoming. He truly was her brother. "so you needed me to play something?"

"It's this song Sharpay's students were working on for her. But she wouldn't let them sing it at graduation so they're gonna get ready to sing it now." Ryan explained. "And they were hoping...well, I was hoping...if you could work the piano?"

"What about the other instruments?" Kelsi inquired. "There's bound to be music from trumpets and drums and everything. Who's going to play those?"

"Actually...all of those are recorded." Ryan admitted.

Kelsi raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked.

"It wouldn't be the perfect song if our favorite composer was just recorded with those sounds." Ryan said. "I mean, you wouldn't be just a side package or anything...but I really think they'd be honored if you played for tem."

"How could you think I wouldn't want to play for anyone?" Kelsi wondered. "Music is my life."

"And it's my life, too. Just you know, not always on the piano." Ryan shrugged.

"I thought hats were your life." she teased.

"Ok yeah, those are in it, too." Ryan admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. He smiled as he heard Kelsi giggled and turned back to her. "I can't remember the last time we teamed up for something, Kelsi. I know we're not working on this from day one like we did senior year or at Julliard but it would really mean something special if we could do something like it again. The kids know all the moves and the song itself, so all that leaves is the final piece of the puzzle."

"Ryan, I'd love to." Kelsi exclaimed.

"Really? No way!" Ryan gasped with a smile.

"Really." Kelsi nodded. "But there is one condition."

"And that would be?" he wondered.

"Think maybe you'd want to come with me on my next trip out?" Kelsi wondered.

"You're kidding, right?" Ryan blinked. "Me go with you?"

"Well I mean, if you don't want to..." she quickly covered.

"No really, I do." Ryan countered quickly. "All summer. Just call me company."

"That really means a lot Ryan. Thanks." Kelsi smiled. She shyly pecked him on the cheek and Ryan burned up. Talk about sibling love, huh?

"Hey guys." Troy called as he knocked on the door. "Ready to come out? Everyone's ready to hear what you've got cooked up."

Ryan's head shot to Kelsi. "But you still need to learn the song." he realized.

"Who needs to learn what song?" Kelsi asked with a smile as she picked up the music sheet.

Ryan smiled. She had everything thought out, didn't she? They walked out of the room and headed to the stage. Kelsi sat down at the piano and Ryan stood at the side of the stage.

"Wildcats, do your thing." he announced. "You've got something to celebrate."

"I don't think we're the only ones." Stella stated with a smile. She turned to Sharpay and Zeke. "Mrs. Baylor, we wanted to sing this for you to show that there was more to us than just a group of students who did chorus. And this is our way of thanking not just you for all our great years at East High, but everyone else who had a part in it. It was really something special."

"Wait a minute," Sharpay blinked, "so you're telling my I disproved something that you could have sang about to everyone instead of just us? About me? Why didn't you say so?"

"Shar, calm down." Zeke said as he rubbed her shoulders. "You'll feel better when you hear the song. It's for you remember?"

"Or more than just her." Sharon muttered.

"C'mon guys. We've got a show to put on." Marco said.

The teens picked up their microphones and headed onto the stage. Kelsi began playing the piano and everyone turned their heads to the stage as the music began filling the air. Marco started it off, circling each friend individually as he sang.

_Lookin forward from center stage_

_To graduation day_

_Time to get the future started_

Stella followed in, moving from the back of the stage to the front and meeting some of the friends on her own.

_What we leave_

_What we take with us_

_No matter what_

_It's something we're part of_

The two joined voices and spun around center stage, meeting face to face.

_We learned to fly_

_Together side by side_

_I just hope the rest of my life_

_Will feel as good as my_

That's when their voices joined just as they did when they sang at graduation.

_High School Musical_

_Who says we have to let it go_

_It's the best part we've ever known_

_Step into the future, but hold on to_

_High School Musical_

_Let's celebrate where we come from_

_The friends who've been there all along just like_

_A High School_

_High School Musical_

The group broke apart as Robby took over.

_Improvisation without a script_

_No one's written it_

_And now we have the chance to_

Charlotte appeared from behind him, sliding on her heels towards the front just slightly.

_But someday we'll be lookin back_

_Memories we'll have_

_All the songs we've lived through_

Doing a partner dance, the two sang together before the group join in again for the chorus.

_The best of times_

_So why leave them behind_

_Why can't the rest of my life_

_Be like my_

_High School Musical_

_Who says we have to let it go_

_It's the best part we've ever known_

_Step into the future, but hold on to_

_High School Musical_

_Let's celebrate where we come from_

_The friends who've been there all along_

_That's right_

Johnny got down on his knees, letting his voice out louder than he did at graduation.

_Now we finally realize_

Sharon jumped over him, as though they were doing leap frog, and took over the next line before they did their partner dance and joined voices.

_Who we are it just took some time_

_We had to live and to learn to see the truth_

_That nothing's ever impossible_

_Into the future we all free fall  
_

_But forever we'll always have high school_

One by one, the students took over a single line and let their individual voices really shine.

_Time to party, now celebrate_

_Cause the world's one big stage_

_Any part you want it can be yours_

_Everybody sing, yeah_

_But the show is never gonna close_

_It's what got us here we know_

And once more, their voices combined as Sharpay had taught them and sang their hearts out.

_High School lives on forever more_

_High School_

_High School Musical  
_

_High School Musical_

_Who says we have to let it go_

_It's the best part we've ever known_

_Step into the future, but hold on to_

_High School Musical_

_Let's celebrate where we come from_

_The friends who've been there all along_

_Oh yeah, I wish that my life could be like a_

_High School Musical_

_Who says we have to let it go_

_It's the best part we've ever known_

_Step into the future, but hold on to_

_High school Musical_

_Let's celebrate where we come from_

_All together makes it better_

_Memories that last forever_

_I want the rest of my life to feel just like a_

_High School Musical_

The room was completely silent. All eyes fell right onto Sharpay, waiting to see her reaction. But even Sharpay was silent. There was no feeling in the room. No one said anything. No one did anything. Not a single action was made by anyone. There was no way she could have been angry, not after they just proved to her how far they've all come. So still, everyone stood expectantly, waiting for her response.

Finally, a smile crept onto Sharpay's face as she wiped a stray tear. "You have come so far!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you were actually just singing that. It was just like...well, my graduation. I'm so proud of all of you!"

"We knew you'd love it!" Sharon grinned.

"Yup, and now there's only one way to commemorate such a momentous occasion," Johnny added. "Let's stuff our faces with food!" He rushed over to the nearest snack table.

Stella shook her head and smiled. She walked over to Troy and Gabriella. "What did you guys think?" she asked.

"That was amazing of you guys. You really worked well together." Gabriella smiled as she hugged her cousin.

Troy nodded in agreement and walked over to Ryan and Kelsi. "Way to go guys, you've still got it." he grinned.

"Thanks." thy replied in unison, though blushing heavily as soon as they said it.

Troy smiled and walked back over to Gabriella and Stella. Sharon passed by them and walked over to Chad, who was with Taylor and Dylan. The brother and sister just stayed there, not saying anything for a minute. Chad bit his tongue and Sharon just stood there with her arms folded. Typical family moment for the two Danforths.

Finally Chad broke the silence. "You did pretty good up there, squirt." he stated. "I never really saw you sing like that before."

"You were at the senior musical." she replied as-a-matter-of-factly. "You've technically seen my perform."

"Touche." Chad nodded.

"Well in case it means anything, thanks for actually being there today." Sharon said.

"Mom and Dad would've been proud." Chad replied. "You know that."

"I think I have a pretty good feeling." Sharon agreed. "But don't think this means I'm going easier on you or anything. I'm still under your roof until the end of August when I go to the University of Kentucky and I plan to make everything on you as hard as I can until then."

"Don't think I'd have it any other way." he shook his head.

Sharon gave a single nod as she turned. Yeah, like it was really going to become more of a family moment with them.

"She's a conniving little witch, isn't she?" Taylor inquired.

"You sure you're not replacing the witch with something else?" Chad replied, turning to her.

"No, I mean witch." she shook her head. "She said she got along with two people. I think she played me."

Chad chuckled. "Yeah she can do that sometimes." He looked around the room and caught Dylan playing with one of the students' younger siblings. "Just think, in less than ten years Dill's gonna do this, too."

"Taking this father thing too seriously?" she playfully teased.

Chad chuckled once more. "Yeah, maybe." he admitted. "But it's not such a long step from forth grade to twelfth grade. He'll be on his own before we know it."

"And where would that leave us?" Taylor inquired.

"What do you mean?" Chad asked.

"You know what I mean." she sighed. "Us. What was going on with us." She stood face to face with Chad and lowered her voice. "He called us mom and dad. What does that tell you?"

"That both of us are treating him like he's our own and we're always there for him." Chad answered.

"It can't be that simple." Taylor shook her head.

"Why not?" Chad asked.

"But can we really keep this up? You're making it sound like we're going to raise him together." she said.

"And why not?" he shrugged. "Troy and Gabs are gonna raise their kid together."

Taylor folded her arms and shot him a doubtful look. "They engaged, lunkhead."

"That doesn't change anything." he shook his head. "They still love each other and they're bringing up their kid the same way. So tell me how we're angy different."

"I don't know." Taylor confessed with a sigh.

"Exactly." Chad said. He rubbed the back of his head and took a deep breath. "And we can't raise Dylan like a family if we're not living together."

Taylor's head shot back to Chad as she raised an eyebrow. Is that where he was going with this? He wasn't doing it to just keep her around, but to also bring up Dylan right? Well, it did make sense. After all they both saw him as heir son, so why should they not raise him together? They were already acting like a family and Dylan saw them as a family. Why should it be any different? If it really wasn't then it was time to take the next step. She was sure of it.

"When do you want me to bring all my things in?" she asked with a smile.

"Seriously?" Chad gasped with wide eyes. He really didn't think that she'd answer, let alone agree, that quickly.

"Seriously." Taylor agreed, nodding.

Chad smiled and pulled her in for a tight hug. "So what do we tell Dill when we leave here?"

Taylor smiled as she hugged Chad back and thought for a minute. "That we're going home."

* * *

Long-ish chapter. I probably shouldn't have typed out the entire song, but it seemed appropriate. XD And finally, another flashback. Haven't seen one of those for a while. =P I had to stop in the middle of typing this to go out and run an errand so I could have something for work so this took longer than I thought. And if I have to go out again tonight then so much for doing another chapter, which would really stink. If that's the case, I'll try and get in more than one chapter tomorrow. But I make no promises yet. So since I don't really have anything else to say, I'll bring this a/n to a close and keep it short before it gets any longer.


	29. Chapter 28

I should so be doing my writing homework right now, since i won't have a ton of time to do it over the weekend, but you know something? I'm too lazy. Writing up this story is so much more fun. You can't read this kinda stuff in a textbook. But I'm happy because I have no art homework this week, which means no working from a huge sketchbook. ^^ Ok anyway, you all really wanna get to the chapter don't you? I'll make this a/n short and just let you get to it then.  
And yet again, HSM is not mine. What a surprise.

* * *

"Oh man, how is cleaning one house so difficult?" Chad gasped to himself as he literally ran around the house to clean everything. "It was never this messy! Who's idea was it to have a paintball fight in here while Taylor was gone?"

Dylan blinked as he looked up at Chad, with some Pledge and rag at hand. "You and Troy did Dad, member?" he asked. "When Gabriella was having that girl's day out with Sharpay and they went to the spee to get their bodies done and you and Troy came here to goof off and got paint everywhere?"

"First of all, it's spa. Second of all, I don't wanna know what Sharpay does to her body in or out of a spa." Chad corrected. He rolled his eyes at the thought. Sharpay had got back from her honeymoon with Zeke only a week ago and already Sharpay was having a girl's day to herself and her friends. Amazing how quickly two months could go by. "Second of all, don't mention this to Taylor when she gets back, ok? She comes home today and she has to come home to a clean house."

"Ok Dad." Dylan nodded as he went back to dusting one of the tables. "So does this mean I can't finger paint on the walls?"

Chad froze and turned to Dylan. "What?" he gasped.

"Kidding." Dylan laughed. "Gotcha."

Chad chuckled, holding in a sigh of relief. "Yeah, you got me." He turned to the kitchen and continued cleaning. He shouldn't have even been rushing to clean everything now. Taylor had only been gone for a few days, deciding to leave after Sharpay's and Zeke's wedding to move her things from her place to Chad's. And Chad wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. The house had to be spotless, he and Dylan had to be angels...well, he could dream of a miracle like that, couldn't he?

_This is the last time to get it right_

_This is the last chance to make our mark_

Chad shook his head when he heard his phone ringing. He sighed and picked it up. "Yo, you got me." he answered.

"Hey." Taylor replied from the other line with a smile. "Guess who just landed back home?"

Chad pretended to think for a minute. "Oprah Winfrey?" he joked.

Taylor laughed. "Well if she's here I'm getting her autograph." she replied. "Nice try, lunkhead."

"So I see you made it here in one piece." Chad stated with a smile.

"As much as any other passenger on flight two fifty six." Taylor shrugged. "So I'll be home in about fifteen minutes."

"Great. Dill and I are gonna be here." Chad promised. "He really missed you while you were gone."

"Who missed who?" she teased.

"Very funny." Chad chuckled. "I'll see you soon."

"I'll be there." Taylor nodded. "Love you."

"Love you, too." Chad replied before hanging up. He turned back to Dill, "Ok now we really gotta speed the cleaning process up here." he said. "She gets here in fifteen minutes."

"So what do I do?" Dylan asked, needing to be told specifics by his father.

"Finish what you're doing here and then I'll look over everything." Chad answered. "Is your room clean?"

"Uh-huh." he nodded.

"Great, so go up there when you're done and act like the little kid you always act like." Chad said.

"But I'm not little." Dylan moaned.

Chad chuckled and rubbed the kid's head. "Tell me that in two years when you're more than half my height." he teased.

"I'm telling Mom on you when she gets home." Dylan moaned as he want upstairs.

Chad sighed and hit his forehead. There always had to be some kind of technicality with a child. But there was no time to worry about that now. Chad had less than fifteen minutes to get everything together and make the house perfect and spotless for Taylor. So he picked up the speed and rushed to get everything in perfect condition. There wasn't a single dirty spot in the kitchen. The living room was as neat as it would ever get. Chad had even repainted his bedroom and rearranged everything. And he was just hoping that Taylor would like it.

Hearing a car door close outside, Chad peeked out the window to see Taylor exiting Troy's and Gabriella's car (yes the two had officially moved in together) and pulling out her luggage. Man those fifteen minutes went by fast! Speeding to get the very last corner clean, Chad moved as fast as he could and then threw out the last piece of garbage into a garbage bag. He tossed it into the back, and it luckily landed beside the garbage can. Chad washed his hands in the kitchen sink and then clapped his hands together to dry them. Hearing Taylor approach the front door, he then made it look like he was getting something out of the kitchen so she wouldn't suspect he was cleaning all morning.

A minute later, Taylor walked in through the front door with her luggage and a smile. "I'm home." she greeted.

"Hey Tay." Chad greeted with a smile. He walked over to her and pulled her in for a hug and a kiss. "Where have you been for four days?"

Taylor giggled. "Officially making the move here from my own home." she answered. "Are you sure you're not up to something?"

"Who, innocent little me?" Chad asked. "No, never."

"Really?" she cocked an eyebrow. "Because the place looks conveniently spotless."

"Yeah, about that..." Chad started to come up with an excuse.

"Mom!" Dylan called as he made it down the stairs. He ran over to Taylor.

""Talk about a welcoming committee." Taylor smiled as she knelt down to Dylan and hugged him. "It's good to see you, too. Did you have fun with your father?"

"Yeah. He and Troy had a paintball fight all over the house!" Dylan exclaimed with a smile.

"What?" Taylor gasped.

Chad chuckled nervously. "Kids. They have such imaginations."

Taylor stood up and folded her arms. "Chad, something you're not telling me?"

"But look at the house. It's all completely clean. All for you. See? You don't have to lift a finger for anything except unpacking today." Chad replied.

"What happened to watching Dylan?" Taylor questioned.

"I was watching him. But Sharpay and Gabs were out for the day. We needed something to do." Chad replied.

"That's no excuse for neglecting your son." Taylor argued.

Now most kids would probably be worried if they saw their parents arguing. But Dylan found this oddly funny. He just started laughing as he listened to them. "Dad's in trouble!" he sang in between laughs.

"Ok, now you're gonna get it." Chad told Dylan. He playfully tackled him and started tickling him. "I'm gonna get you now, Dill."

"Dad, stop!" Dylan laughed.

Taylor rolled her eyes at the two and smiled. "Ok Chad, get off of him. You'll suffocate the poor boy." she said, playfully pulling Chad off.

"Make me." Chad laughed, pulling Taylor in. "Now I got both of you."

"Chad let go!" Taylor gasped, trying to get out of his grip.

"Never." Chad shook his head, with one arm around Taylor and the other around Dylan. "So how about we go out for dinner tonight? All three of us."

"Too lazy to actually cook something?" Taylor teased.

"Maybe." Chad shrugged innocently. "But I do think we have an occasion to celebrate."

"And that would be...?" she inquired.

"I'll tell you at dinner." Chad answered with a smile.

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"When you said we were going to celebrate, you weren't kidding." Taylor stated a half hour later as she and the boys sat down at a table. "This is one of the most expensive diners in Albuquerque."

Chad shrugged modestly. "I do what I can to impress."

"I thought we were going to Chuck E Cheese's?" Dylan asked with disappointment.

"We can go next time." Chad promised, gently rubbing Dill's head.

"How about next weekend before you go back to school we'll take you to Chuck E Cheese's?" Taylor offered. "It'd be a great way to celebrate you starting fourth grade."

"Ok." Dylan gave in, though with a tint of boredom in his voice. No child was particularly excited about starting school again and Dylan was no exception. But hey, if it meant eating pizza and playing a ton of games the night before then it had to be good, right?

"Then how about you look through the menu and decide what you want to eat?" Taylor suggested, handing him the kid's menu.

"But I wanna color a picture." Dylan said.

"After we order food." Taylor replied, moving the crayons away from Dylan, at least for the moment.

Chad couldn't help but smile. It was a good thing he didn't spoil Dylan _that_ much.

"Are you ready to order drinks?" a waiter asked, walking over.

Chad picked his head up at the man. "Yeah, I think so." Chad nodded. "Root bear for me."

"And your son?" the waiter inquired, writing that down.

Chad smiled. Man, he loved hearing that. _Is that your son? Aw, what a cute little boy you have there. What would your son like?_ Chad never got tired of hearing that. Man it was good to have things like that again.

"What do you want, Dill?" Chad asked.

"I want a puppy!" he exclaimed with a smile.

Taylor couldn't help but cover her mouth and hold in her giggling as she looked through the menu. He had really picked up on Chad's sense of humor.

Chad chuckled a bit himself before trying to set things straight. "No, I mean to drink. You can't drink a puppy."

"Can I have soda and orange juice?" Dylan asked, cocking his head.

Taylor raised an eyebrow and looked at Chad. "What have you been feeding him?" she asked.

"Nothing." Chad replied defensively. "No, I don't mean I'm not feeding him. I mean, I am feeding him, but nothing disgusting. He's being perfectly fed..."

The waiter looked at the child. "How about a Pepsi and we'll bring you an orange on the side?" he suggested.

"Ok." Dylan nodded. He turned back to Taylor disrupting her slight argument with Chad. "Can I have my crayons back now?" he asked.

"I don't know, can you?" Taylor teased playfully, making sure to hand him the crayons in slow motion.

Chad smiled at the two. He shook his head contently as he turned back to the waiter. "What was that?" he asked.

"I asked if you knew what your wife wanted to drink." the waiter politely repeated.

Chad blinked and nearly froze. Taylor was caught off guard, which also gave Dylan the chance to snatch the crayons right back from her. Chad glanced at Taylor slightly, though he was talking to the waiter. "Well...that's not exactly..." he stuttered.

"Actually, we're not married." Taylor corrected, trying to sound as casual as she could. "Um, I'll just have a Ginger Ale then."

The waiter nodded as he jotted that down on the pad and walked away to get the drinks.

Taylor bit her tongue and rested her elbow on the table, her head leaning against her hand as it went slightly through her hair.

Chad lightly tapped his fingers against the table. "Well that was..."

"Awkward." Taylor finished.

Chad nodded in agreement and they quickly looked over their menus. They remained silent for a while, only talking to order their food. And even after their food arrive they remained quiet. Neither of them said anything and Dylan was only confused, not touching his food.

"Why are you not talking anymore?" he asked curiously.

"We're eating." Chad lied, putting some food in his mouth.

"Speaking of eating, didn't we come here for something?" Taylor inquired, keeping the conversation going. She couldn't help it; it felt so odd sitting right across from Chad and not saying a word to him. And they were confusing Dylan, who had no idea what was going on. What if he thought they were angry at each other and became worried when they didn't talk instead of when they argued?

"Right." Chad nodded. "Well, I was thinking that it would be a great nice for all of us to go out. I mean, since we're family now. You know, living together. It's a good reason to celebrate isn't it?"

"Sounds decent." Taylor nodded as she took a sip of her drink.

"And there's one more thing." Chad added.

"We're getting a puppy?" Dylan asked eagerly.

"No..." Chad said slowly.

"I'd better sit still for this one." Taylor sighed as she put her glass down. "What did you destroy?"

"Nothing...yet." Chad joked.

Taylor folded her arms and looked at him seriously.

"I was kidding." Chad said. He shook his head and went on with his news. "You know how I pretty much gave up the bowling alley, right?"

"It was all you could talk about until you made it official in the middle of last month." Taylor sighed.

"Well we don't have to worry about a job anymore." Chad started.

"Chad, I need to find one I can manage here. I need to bring in some of the income, too, you know." she replied.

"I know. But I actually got a new job. A better one." Chad said with a smile.

"And that would be?" Taylor asked.

Dylan looked at Chad expectantly.

"I get to work at a new daycare center that's going to open up near East High." Chad grinned.

"What?" Taylor gasped.

"You always said I was great with kids. Remember babysitting Jason's younger brother? And Zeke's?" Chad shrugged.

"Well you did get along amazingly with them. You do have a way with children." Taylor agreed.

"And...?" he asked hopefully.

A smile came across Taylor's face. "And I'm proud of you. This is excellent news." she said. "You're right, this is a great thing to celebrate."

Chad smiled. He walked over to Taylor and pecked her on the cheek. "I knew that'd make you happy." he said. "What about you, Dill?"

"Does this mean I get more toys?" Dylan wondered, cocking his head.

Chad chuckled and rubbed his son's head. "Maybe in the long run, kiddo. Or maybe we can get a puppy. We'll see soon." He walked back over to his seat. "Now finish up eating so we can order dessert. We need to have ice cream or a family night out won't be complete."

~HSM~HSM~HSM~

"Dinner was amazing." Taylor said with a smile as they three of them walked back into the house later that night. "And your news was pretty amazing, too."

Chad shrugged modestly and smiled. "I wanted to make sure I'd be doing something that I can actually handle. And that I would enjoy doing. Bowling was ok, but it just wasn't for me."

"You really wanted basketball, didn't you?" Taylor guessed, her face falling slightly.

"Maybe just a little." Chad admitted. "But if I can't do basketball then...then it's no big deal."

Taylor sighed and turned to Dylan, wanting to talk to Chad in private. "Dylan, go upstairs and get changed ok? Bedtime in an hour."

Dylan nodded and went upstairs as he was told. Taylor turned back to Chad. "How can you say basketball isn't a big deal, Chad?" she asked. "That's always been your dream."

"Dreams change, Tay. People change." Chad said. "And if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have pretty much became the same person I was in high school. And I like that me a lot better than the boring serious me."

"So what are you saying?" Taylor asked.

"I've got a new dream Tay. And it actually has almost nothing to do with basketball." he admitted. He took Taylor's hand. "Come with me." he said, leading her upstairs.

Taylor raised an eyebrow and followed. She had no idea what Chad was planning, or even what he was talking about. He had something up his sleeve, that was for sure. She let him lead her upstairs to what was now their room and Taylor blinked in disbelief as she took in the scenery. The walls were painted a light shade of violet blue, a combined shade of their favorite colors, and there wasn't even a crumb on the carpet. The vanity up against the wall was evenly divided so they could each have their belongings on it, as well as certain drawers to themselves. The room was in perfect condition; nothing was out of place. Taylor stood there with a shocked look on her face as she turned around to Chad.

"What did you do in here?" she wondered.

"My dream involves us, Tay." Chad confessed, continuing from where he left off. "I want us to bring up Dill in the perfect environment so we can be a real family like we were tonight. And maybe we're stll just dating right now but we're still his parents. And that's not ever gonna change. I've always wanted to raise a family with you, Tay. And now we can do it, if you want to." There was a pause as he left her hanging with that, at least for now. He wanted to leave her standing there wanting more. He knew Taylor was aware that this was going somewhere and she was going to know. They had already confessed all else for each other; this was the last piece of it. This was the last thing to do to make it complete. All Chad could do was hope that he didn't mess it up. He took a deep breath as he finished. "I want to pick up where we left off again."

Taylor stood there, still in disbelief. How could she believe it? Chad had done all this work while she was away to move everything and he was going all out. If he wanted to impress her, his mission wasn't accomplished. He never had to do anything to impress Taylor, just as long as he was being honest and himself. And here he was doing just that. He was proving to her that he could be the same guy she had first fallen for, not to mention implying that he never would be like that again if he hadn't seen Taylor again. And he was indeed being truthful; Taylor would know if he were lying. There were no symptoms to prove that all of this was a lie. So now there was only one last thing to take care of. After all they went through, after all that's happened since she got there, after hitting pretty much every speck of drama that they could possibly run into at that point, was _she_ ready to pick up where they left off?

Taylor held up a finger. "Give me on minute." she said softly as she exited the room.

Chad sighed as he watched her walk out. He had messed it up, hadn't he? He said or did something to completely screw it up and in turn, screw his chances with Taylor. No matter what they went through would it always end in a breakup? Chad couldn't bear to see that anymore. He didn't want to see Taylor with another man; he wanted to see her with him. He wanted to do know what he did wrong so he could go back and fix things. But could he do that or was there really no hope? He merely sighed and looked down at the ground.

Taylor knocked on Dylan's door as she stepped inside. "You getting changed?" she asked him, making sure her eyes were closed if he was still changing.

"All done, mom." Dylan said as he sat on the floor coloring in his coloring book.

Taylor opened her eyes as she walked over to him. "Your father and I are going to hit the hay early tonight, ok?" she asked. "So I'm going to put you in bed now."

"But I'm not tired." Dylan shook his head.

"Not yet, you're not." Taylor smiled. She took him over to his bed and rested him on his bed. She slowly started tucking him and and humming a lullaby.

"But I'm not...I'm not sleepy..." Dylan said in between yawns. And before he knew it, he was off to sleep.

Taylor smiled and kissed him on the head. She turned off his light and closed the door behind her and walked back into her and Chad's room. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat when she walked in.

Chad blinked and turned to Taylor. "Hey..."

"Hey..." she replied. He sounded so uneasy. What was going on? "So about what you were saying..."

"I messed it up, didn't I?" Chad guessed right away.

"No, of course not." Taylor shook her head. "So what were you saying before?"

"What?" Chad asked, confused.

"Before I went out to put Dylan to bed, what were you saying?" Taylor asked.

So that's why she went out. It was just to put Dylan to bed early. He hadn't missed his chance!

"I was saying...that I wanted to pick up where we left off." Chad admitted with a small smile.

A smile grew on Taylor's face. She closed the door behind her and took a step closer to Chad. "So where did we leave off again, exactly?" she inquired, almost with a flirtatious tone.

Chad raised an eyebrow and smiled. He leaned in and kissed Taylor gently and she returned the kiss. She placed her hands on his shoulder and Chad's hands went around her waist. They grasped onto each other as though they wouldn't let go and remained in each others' arms. It wasn't long before they ended up on the bed with just their shirts removed and nothing else, Chad gently on top of Taylor as they continued kissing. It was exactly where they had left off before heading to college. Like almost nothing happened since then. It was exactly where they left off.

* * *

This took a while to write, once again. xD Since I didn't get to put this chapter up last night, I'll put in another chapter tonight. Although last night I did manage to fix a few things in previous chapters, mainly typos. So does that make it a little better? o_0 Hope so, cause I fixed whatever I could find. Anyway I hope this was a good ending to the chapter. Or story. 0=) But then again, why would I tell you if this was the end? I'll just keep you guessing on that one. But if this really was the end then I would have said final thank you's for reviews and everything. So this is all I can think of to say for now, so I'll leave it at this and watch some TV. XD


	30. Epilogue

Well here it is, at long last. The epilogue. Yes, I can hear the dramatic music now. Yup, this is the thing that ties everything together and really makes us go into the future.... Ok, I'm totally lying. I don't know what it really does except move forward a few years into a story or something. So that was my most stupid moment of the day...I think. o_0 Eh, what are you gonna do? Anyway, I promise that as soon as I say thanks for all the reviews and that I don't own HSM and probably never will, I'll shut up. But if you want me to shut up now then just say so and I'll type the thank you's. Ok, ok, I can take a hint. I'll move on with all of the thank you's. So for all of the reviews thank you digigirl02, Always-Here-Imani, ChaylorTwilightQueen10, lilmissmonique, suckmyanarchy, creativelyyourz, Ramandus Daughter, 1angelette, kadithecutie, RandamusDaughter23, and leoshunny1985. Did I get all those right? Cause I got confused at some point with all of the reviews. Please don't hate me. Also, thanks ChaylorTwilightQueen10 and 1angelette for offering the ideas. We did need more Kelsi and Ryan in there didn't we? And the whole drama with the irony of Taylor's boyfriend (or rather now ex-boyfriend) being Dylan's father really kept it all going. And as far as the grammar mistakes and everything...do I still need to fix any of those? I'm just wondering. I'll give them one more look over after this weekend just in case.

* * *

"Wait guys...no, wait...don't! Guys get down!" I gasp and collapse onto the ground under two children. But hey, I had gotten used to reactions like that after a while. Besides, I might as well let the kids have their fun. It's not like I'd let anyone else knock me down, right? Then again, I just couldn't help but smile as I heard their laughter. It was pretty cute.

"But we were just playing." Four-year-old Gina giggled. "You're fun to tackle."

"Yeah well you're pretty fun to tackle, too." I laughed as I playfully turned on the girl and tackled her down before getting up. Luckily she only laughed, knowing I'd never hurt her. But I had to shake my head, feeling something tug on my curls. Or rather _someone._ "Tim what are you doing?" I chuckled at the two-year-old hanging on my head. He was a small and light-weight boy, but he had been a tiny baby, too. I was ready to wait and see how tall he'd get when he grew. I gently pulled Timothy off of my head and held him in my arms. "Don't do that, Tim. Your parents are gonna be here any minute."

"He likes your hair, Uncle Chad." Gina laughed.

"Oh does he now?" I asked slyly. I was about to kneel down and grab her when I heard a voice, which caused me to stand up straight. Before I knew it there was Troy, arms folded as he watched me carefully.

"What are you doing to my kids?" he gasped.

I only chuckled in response. "Oh c'mon man, we were just having a little fun. You know I'd never hurt these kids." I watched as Gina ran and hugged Troy on his leg. She was the spitting image of a female him: the same shade of hair, those crystal clear blue eyes, and what looked like the start of an athletic body. But I'm not gonna lie - she definitely had Gabriella's brains. Timothy, on the other hand, was the perfect combination of the two: Gabriella's hair and Troy's hair style, Gabriella's eyes and skin tone, and Troy's laugh. Too bad he wasn't talking much yet, even for a two year old.

"So did you have fun?" I heard Troy ask his daughter.

"Uh-huh." Gina nodded. "Tim was hanging from Uncle Chad's hair again."

Troy raised an eyebrow and looked at Timothy, who was still in my arms. "You have to be more careful, you know that." he stated.

Tim looked down, "I sowwy."

Troy only smiled and chuckled as he took the toddler from me. "Well I can't say I blame you." he said. "We all love Uncle Chad's hair." He laughed and rubbed my hair, messing it all up.

I gasped and jumped back. "Dude!"

"What?" Troy asked innocently.

I rolled my eyes. "So how come Gabriella's not with you?"

"Stella just got back from university yesterday. And Gabs is due in a couple of weeks." Troy answered.

I only smiled as I remembered how Stella practically rushed here when Gina and Timothy were born. But now that she was back home from college there'd be no rushing. My own sister, on the other hand, had her own apartment in Kentucky. So we weren't that close but it was no big deal. We talked once a month to at least acknowledge each others' existence.

"So then share me the details." I urged. "Boy? Girl? Twins? Triplets?" Hey, I couldn't help it. Troy had been so busy with the community theater and being a substitute gym teacher and whatnot for the high school we haven't had much time to talk. Then again, I should be one to talk. I've been pretty busy myself.

Troy chuckled in response. "Yeah, it's twins alright. But Gabriella and I didn't wanna know what they were. We want to be surprised when they come."

"So are you two excited to have younger siblings in the house?" I asked Gina and Tim.

"Uh-huh." Gina nodded eagerly. "I hope they're both girls. I can share all my stuff with them."

Man this little girl was a treasure. So adorable. "How about you, Timmy?" I asked her brother.

He just cocked his head and looked at me as he blinked. "Abies."

Troy and I chuckled. "Yeah, they're babies alright." I nodded. "And they're gonna be tiny just like you." I playfully tickled Timothy's stomach which caused him to giggle.

"Ok man, enough time with my kids. I'm gonna take them home." Troy said as he took a step away from me. Naturally that meant I had to stop tickling the toddler's stomach.

"Alright man." I nodded. I looked at my watch and blinked. "Whoa, I gotta get ready to clock out. I told Tay I'd visit her today."

"You just saw her yesterday." Troy laughed. "Hey, how's she doing?"

"Way less cranky." I smiled. "Trust me, if I didn't have to work today I would've been there after breakfast."

"Well make sure you tell her Gabs and I say hey." Troy said. "Let me know if you need any help, ok?"

"Dude, you're the one expecting in a few weeks, not me." I shook my head. "You should be letting me know if you need help."

"Yeah well we'll see." Troy joked as he left the daycare center with his kids.

I only smiled and shook my head. Pulling out my time card, I headed into the office and clocked out. I headed out to my car and drove off from work. I gotta admit, working there for four years has been a blast. Troy leaves his kids there sometimes and they make it even more fun. They're really something else.

I drove by the community theater and parked into the parking lot. I smiled at Troy's latest renovations, though it was technically just a new coat of painting or something on the walls and some flowers planted on the side. But it was now officially called Albuquerque Cross Theater. Troy had named it after Jason, of course. See, the day after that graduation party we had for everyone there, Troy took Jason's picture back to the memorial at school. Then he took one of Jay's best pictures and plastered it onto the main room inside and named the theater so then that way there'd always be a piece of Jason in there. We make sure to say hi to him every time we stop by. I figured while I had some time, I'd check it out in there and see if Troy did anything else. Besides, I still had a few errands to run before seeing Taylor.

I didn't count on seeing Ryan inside, though. He was pacing around like some kind of nervous wreck. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on. "Yo, Ryan." I called. "What's goin on?"

Ryan jumped as he turned to me. "Oh hey Chad. Nothing, just...thinking."

"What about?" I wondered as I walked over, a hand in my pocket.

"Just...no, nothing. It's not important." He quickly shook his head.

I rolled my eyes, not about to let him off the hook. "C'mon man, start talking."

"It's just...me and Kelsi." he admitted.

"What's goin on?"

"Just some problems is all."

I had to burst out laughing at that. Ryan and Kelsi were so perfect for each other, even I could see it. And everyone says I'm about as clueless as they come. Hey wait a minute...did I just insult myself? Man what am I saying? Of course I'm not that clueless!

"Yeah right man. You and small person having problems." I laughed. "Good one."

"Well we kind of are." Ryan explained. "She and I have been engaged for almost a year now but we're starting to have difficulties. Me at East High and trying for that hat emporium, her and her music and traveling..."

He was still going for that hat store thing? Man when was Ryan gonna get a clue? It wasn't happening!

"So what, you guys are fighting?" I asked doubtfully.

"We've been trying for two months now to figure out how to work through it. I want to travel with Kelsi, but that means I can't work at East High and I can't even try to open up my hat emporium. So if we can't work out something we're screwed." he replied.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're gonna let this stop you." I said sarcastically. "How long did it take you to finally ask her out?"

"Three months." Ryan admitted in a squeak.

How true. And that was three months _after_ he first started traveling with her. But I rolled my eyes and turned to Jason's picture. I remember how Troy said he helped him when it came to proposing to Gabriella or something.

"Yo Jay. Give Ryan some manly advice here. Apparently I'm not the right candidate." I said. I folded my arms and waited for something to happen. And then, two minutes later, I snap to Ryan. "What do you mean, 'of course'?" I asked, overhearing what he exclaimed.

"Jason suggested creating a website where people can buy hats." Ryan told me. "I can't believe I didn't think of that, it's so obvious! I gotta go call Kelsi and tell her!"

Ryan whipped out his cell phone in less than three seconds but I just shook my head. "Dude. She's here this month, remember? Does the word 'break' mean anything to you?"

"Oh yeah." Ryan realized as he slowly put his phone away. "I bet if I hurry home, I can talk to Kelsi before Sharpay walks in on us!" He ran out with a huge smile on his face. Yup, Sharpay was still running East High with a mighty fist. But ever since Ryan and Kelsi got engaged, Sharpay has spent almost every day after school going to check on them, especially since they stayed with her and Zeke while they were in town. But let's just say that Sharpay had a tendency to walk in at the worst times. Who knew Ryan or small person had it in them?

I said bye to Jason and thanked him for knocking some sense into Ryan and headed out. Next stop was to catch Zeke at his bakery while he was on break. If I was lucky, I'd be able to talk to him for about ten minutes. That was about how much time I had with him by the time I got there. We were sitting in his staff room in the back and he was finishing his late lunch. Let me tell you, his business was really booming!

"So how's Taylor doing?" Zeke wondered as he slowly finished his sandwich.

"I think she's finally calming down." I said. "Which was good, cause after everything she needs that."

"Yeah she was one cranky woman." Zeke laughed.

"Hey watch it!" I slapped him in the arm. I can't believe he just insulted her like that.

"Dude, I was kidding." Zeke said, holding up his arms.

"Oh..." I said slowly. I should've known Zeke would never say something mean about someone on purpose. "Right. I knew that." I lied. "Anyway, what about you and Sharpay?"

"Taking things nice and slowly." he smiled.

"For four years?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, you should talk." I heard him mutter. "But seriously, we both have a lot on our plate. Have you seen it outside lately?"

"Yeah, your bakery is pretty packed." I nodded.

"My thoughts exactly." Zeke replied. "Oh hey, when does Dylan get back from his field trip?"

"Today. I gotta pick him up so we can both see Tay." I answered.

"And does he know yet?" Zeke asked.

"Not exactly. But when he called yesterday I told him there was a surprise waiting for him." I replied with a grin. "I just hope he knew what it was."

"Hey, Dylan's a smart kid. You know he knows." Zeke said as he finished his food.

"True." I agreed. Dylan was the musical one in my family. I swear, when he sings it's just like Taylor. Well...only like a guy. Cause Dylan's a guy, not a girl. But he's also really artistic. I don't think he's that much into sports. But at least he offers to watch a game with me sometimes, and I'm good with that. He at least tries to understand. We played a game of ping pong once and I even let him win. But when it came to air hockey, he got me there. Fast reflexes he's got. But still, he was a smart boy. I keep wondering what he got from me after all this time.

"So when do you want me to bring over those cookies? I got em all ready for you guys." Zeke said as he threw out his garbage.

"How about next weekend?" I asked, standing up. "Everything's should be all settled in by then."

"Sounds like a plan." he shrugged. "Anyway, I'd better get back out there and help out."

"Alright man. So I'll see you and Sharpay next weekend then." I nodded. "But really, when are you two talking kids?"

"When she stops worrying about looking so fat." Zeke joked.

I laughed. It was mainly a harmless joke, but Zeke always swore to Sharpay she could never look fat.

"Besides, even if she did get fat I'd always share my bed with her." Zeke added with a grin as he went back to work.

I shuddered heavily at the thought. Thanks for putting that image in my head, Zeke. I get joking about Sharpay and then being honest to her about it, even if the joke itself was honest, but does he have to say stuff like that in front of me? I'm telling you, it's ridiculous!

Realizing that Zeke's lunch break was over, I knew I had to get to the middle school. I had to pick up Dill, since this was the day he came home. I drove over there, only able to imagine his reaction when I told him. But Dill's tricked me a few times, too. He really pulled my leg. Only difference is, I wouldn't be pulling his leg this time. I'd be telling the truth. But with the look he'd give me, he wouldn't believe it. But really, Dylan's a good kid. He really took after Taylor. Even his hair is starting to look like hers. I bet he had it styled by someone or something. But as far as he goes as a person, he's doing great. Once in a while Dylan talks to Brian, so at least his father is a small portion of his life. What I'm really happy about is that he still calls me his dad. It's almost like he was never even adopted.

I waited with a large group of parents for the bus to arrive as I thought about Dill. As much as I wanted to hear all about his trip, we had to leave as soon as we could. After all, it was a family matter. I smiled widely as I saw the bus pull up and the students start to jump off. I noticed Dylan as he came down, one of the last ones. The kid had definitely gotten taller; he was about up to my chest. He had a few pimples from acne but that was typical for teenagers, wasn't it? well...so I remember anyway. But when I saw his t-shirt, which read "I'm like PB&J...Without the J", I grinned wider. He really did get my sense of humor.

"Hey kiddo." I greeted as I gave him a small man hug. "How was your trip?"

"It was pretty cool. Camping for a whole week was way better than I expected." he answered, his voice deepening from puberty.

"You were good while you were there, right?" I raised an eyebrow and folded my arms.

"Dad!" he gasped.

I smiled and chuckled. "I know you were. I was just checking."

Dylan smiled and rolled his eyes. I knew I annoyed him like that. But hey, what else was I supposed to do?

"So can we go home now, Dad?" he asked. "I gotta tell you and Mom everything. And I wanna see the surprise."

"You're gonna see the surprise." I said as I took his bag. "But it's not at home."

"So then where is it?" he wondered with a shrug.

"Well let's get in the car and I'll drive you there." I replied.

"Can I ride in the front?" Dylan asked eagerly.

"No way." I laughed. "Wait till you're fifteen so you can spend a year watching me drive before you go for your license."

"But Mom said you were a crazy driver when you were sixteen. She said she was gonna be the one to teach me to drive and she doesn't trust you behind the wheel teaching me." Dylan explained.

"What?" I gasped. "I was never _that _crazy."

"That's not what Mom says." Dylan sang.

"Ok I get it, she's the smart one and I'm not. Is that what you wanted to hear?" I rolled my eyes.

"Maybe." he shrugged innocently.

And there he went, doing it like I would again. I couldn't help but smile. "C'mon kiddo, let's get out of here." I said, walking over to the car.

Dylan followed and hopped into the back seat when I put the luggage away. I sat in the driver's seat and started driving onto the highway. Dill told me a bit about his field trip, how most of the seventh graders were there and they learned so much. They were only allowed to use their phones once a day to make phone calls, with the exception of emergencies, so everyone had been complaining about the lack of technology. I can't say that I blame them; that'd be like me without a TV remote. Hey, a guy's always gotta have some games or toons to watch.

"Hey Dad where are we goin?" Dylan asked. "This isn't even the way back to anyone's house."

"I know." I nodded as I pulled into the parking lot. "Your mom's here."

"Wait, here? As in, the hospital?" he gasped. "Dad are you saying...?"

"You got it." I nodded with a wide grin.

"When?" he exclaimed.

"Not even a couple of days ago." I answered. I parked the car and got out, Dylan not hesitating to jump out ahead of me. "C'mon, let's go see her."

We made our way inside and requested permission to see Taylor. We passed by the reception desk and made our way down the hall. I led the way of course, as Dylan followed. I just couldn't keep the smile off my face. Dill looked so stoked. I couldn't say I blamed him, even though everyone else claimed I had been a nervous wreck. Ok so I admit to being a little nervous, but I was never that out of it. But who said Dylan had to know every little detail?

We finally walked into Taylor's room and Dylan ran right over to her.

"Hi Mom!" he exclaimed.

Taylor turned to us as she rested in the hospital bed. I could see a warm smile on her face as she hugged Dylan. "Hey, welcome home." she greeted. "How was your trip?"

"It was cool." Dylan replied. "But why didn't you tell me it was coming this week?"

"She." I corrected with a smile.

Dylan turned his head towards me slightly. "She?" he repeated.

Taylor nodded. "She's getting her final checkup right now. You'll meet her in a few minutes."

"Alright!" Dylan cheered.

"Ok, ok, you had your chance. It's my turn to get a hug in." I told Dylan. He moaned as he pulled away from Taylor, but I only chuckled as I then pulled her in for a warm hug. "How are you doing?" I asked.

"Why do you and the guys have to ask me that?" she sighed. "I keep telling you, I'm fine."

Ok, so I always knew she'd be fine. But that never stopped my from worrying. I always wanted to know Taylor would be in one piece. "So when do you get out of here?"

"The doctors said we can go home today." Taylor smiled.

"That's great." I grinned, kissing her on the forehead. "By the way, when did you tell Dylan I was a crazy Sunday driver?"

She giggled. "I've told him that every time he wants to know when he can drive."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." I said sarcastically.

"That's what I'm here for." She teased. She pecked me on the nose playfully and pulled away. "How about you go see how they're doing with the baby?"

"Ok." I agreed. "Be right back." I walked out of the room with the promise I'd be back in a few minutes. I made my way down the hall and into the nursery. Pretty good timing, if I do say so myself. They were just finishing examining the baby. They told me everything I needed to know and I carefully carried the small bundle back to her family. I swear, this girl is the spitting image of her mother...except with my hair color. I had joked to Taylor for weeks about what the baby would look like. I always said if it was a girl she'd look just like her. And then Taylor countered saying she'd have my smile and my hair. Well, it would have been nice to have that small Afro on the baby's head, but we can always go for another one if we wanted to. Stopping by the door, I could overhear Dylan and Taylor talking.

"So are you excited?" she asked.

"Definitely." Dylan nodded. "I always wanted a brother or sister."

"Well you're going to love her." Taylor promised. I could hear her voice softening, still as gentle as ever. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner. We wanted you to have fun on your trip with your friends, not sit around the house worrying about us and freaking out like your father." Dylan laughed at that, but I rolled my eyes. Taylor continued, "And one more thing, Dylan. Even if you and her aren't related by blood you'll always be her brother. We're all a family and that's never going to change. Remember that."

I walked into the room as they hugged. I smiled at the sight and playfully hid the baby's face so Dylan wouldn't see her right away. Taylor looked up and saw me, then kissed Dylan on the head. Dylan chuckled, as it was a ticklish spot for him. He turned to me with a smile.

"Is that her?" he asked eagerly.

"Yup." I nodded. "Ready to meet your sister?"

"Definitely!" he exclaimed.

I smiled and turned the baby for him to see. I could see Dylan's face light up with excitement. "She's pretty cute." he observed. "What's her name?"

Taylor and I exchanged smiles. "Cheryl Dominique McKessie-Danforth." I announced.

"The first two letters and the last two come from my and your father's names." Taylor explained with a smile. "And her middle initial is from you."

"Wow..." he replied in amazement. I swear, this kid was just as obsessed over the baby as everyone else had been. But she was only a couple days old practically, and this was the first time her brother was meeting him. "Um...can I hold her?" he asked.

"Sure Dill." I nodded. "Make sure to hold the head." I added, gently moving Cheryl from my arms to Dylan's. Hey, after taking a ton of parenting classes to prepare for this I had to make sure I was ready to pass my knowledge of babies onwards. I could see how gentle Dylan's touch was. He was really taking a fast liking to his sister. And he was one of the few people she wasn't crying at when she was held. When Troy held Cheryl the other day she was bawling like heck. I made a joke and said she hated her Uncle Troy, but Troy only responded by pretending to hurt me.

I walked over to Taylor and sat beside her on the bed, wrapping my arm around her. "So we can go home today, huh?"

"Yes we an. Which means I can finally stop sleeping on this uncomfortable hospital bed." she nodded.

"Well, I think we can arrange to make you more comfortable at home." I replied with a smile.

"Are we talking breakfast in bed?" she inquired with a smile.

"I think we can work it out." I agreed, giving her another kiss on the forehead. I rested my head on top of hers and her head went on my shoulder, with her hand touching the one I had around her. "I heard what you said to Dill about him being a big brother." I whispered.

"And?" she whispered back softly.

"I think it was sweet." I answered. "I bet that's exactly what he always wanted to hear."

"It's my job." Taylor shrugged with a smile.

"Speaking of jobs..." I started. I wanted to make sure Taylor wouldn't go back to work right away. She got to publish articles for the local newspaper and practically ran the whole operation. But seriously, there was no way she would go back not even a week after giving birth.

She sighed and I'm pretty sure she rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I clarified that I'm not going back until until the beginning of next month, at least."

"Good." I replied. "I don't need you being stressed and cranky again."

"Well I'll be even less stressed and cranky if you take me home." Taylor stated.

"I think that can be arranged." I smiled.

We left a short time later. I turned my cell phone on only to hear a message from Ryan. I smiled after hearing it. Everything had worked out with him and Kelsi. That was good to know. Maybe he would go through with his hat emporium after all, then. And the second message was from Gabriella. She was of course, asking about Taylor and Cheryl. She was probably still all crazy about the twins. But hey, it was one of her mood swings. What was a guy to do? I decided to call them back tomorrow, just wanting some family time today. The ride home was fairly quiet and we could hear Cheryl in the back seat getting nervous about being in a moving vehicle. Luckily Dylan was able to distract her and she seemed to like that. I looked at Taylor in the passenger's seat and smiled at her.

"I bet you she's got your brains." I whispered.

"Better than your ego." Taylor teased.

The rest of the ride home was pretty quiet. I parked the car in the driveway and helped Taylor out of her side before getting out the baby. I know she even told me as we left the hospital that she didn't need help and she could move on her own, but I didn't believe her. Besides, Taylor was so stubborn how could I let her get away with anything? We told Dylan to start unpacking and tell us about the whole field trip at dinner. As he went up, Taylor and I took Cheryl into her room. With Sharon out of the house, we were able to convert her room into Cheryl's. The walls were painted a light lavender shade and everything was filled with baby girl things. Well, for the most part anyway. I might have thrown in a few toys for baby boys that I thought Cheryl would like much better. We tucked her into her crib and watched as she fell asleep. But I just stared at her happily. I still couldn't believe that we could have gone through with this so many years ago, and just now we were experiencing parenthood from the start.

"I can't believe we missed out on this all these years." I shook my head doubtfully.

"We didn't completely miss out." Taylor stated. "We had Dylan."

"Yeah, we did." I smiled at the thought. But we didn't have Dylan when he was born. It made me wonder what he was like as a baby. "But you know now I've got two kids to spoil, right?"

Taylor giggled. "Don't spoil them too much, alright? We've got a limited salary."

"So I guess this means another baby's out of the question." I assumed cockily.

Taylor gasped and whacked me on the chest. "Chad there isn't enough room in this house for three children. And besides, we need to get through this baby before even thinking about another one."

"Ok, ok, I know." I gave in with a faint chuckle. I got behind Taylor and wrapped my arms around her waist and smiled. I'm pretty sure she smiled, because I felt her hands cover mine. Man it felt good to have my arms fit around her again. She hardly ever let me put my hands near her stomach when she was pregnant. She had to get all sensitive over there. I rolled my eyes at the memory. "We should probably get to our room." I suggested.

"Wait." I could hear Dylan say. Both Taylor and I turned our heads to see him coming into the room with a picture frame in his hands. "We still need to put this picture in here."

I took one of my hands off of Taylor so I could hold the picture Dill was showing us. It was one of the pictures from our wedding day, with me, Taylor, and Dylan in it. Our first official family portrait. "You really wanna keep this in here?" I wondered.

"Uh-huh." he nodded. "That way we can still be in the room even when we're not in it."

"I think it's a great idea." Taylor agreed. She took the picture from me and placed it on one of the shelves facing the crib, just a bit above its height. "How's that?"

"I think it's perfect." I offered, unable to wipe the smile off my face.

Dylan smiled and walked out of the room, heading back to his own to unpack. Taylor started walking out as well, but I turned my head to her when I saw she was still in the doorway waiting for me.

"You coming, hon?" she wondered.

"I'll be there in a minute." I promised.

"Chad, she's fine. She's sound asleep. You don't need to watch her every waking minute." Taylor replied, her head resting up against the wall.

"I know." I nodded. "Two minutes."

A smile crept onto Taylor's face. "Do you want to 'pick up where we left off'?"

I smiled. Every time we were apart, even if it was for a day, we would ask if we should do that. And the answer would be the same every time.

"Most definitely." I agreed. I kissed her and she kissed me back. And if we weren't in Cheryl's room, I probably would have taken it a bit further. Unless Taylor wanted to tease me and break it off. And trust me, she was good at that.

"I'll be waiting then." she said with a smile as she went into our room.

I smiled and looked back at our daughter. My eyes slowly drifted from her to the photo. She and I stood side by side, my arm around her waist and her hand on my shoulder. In front and center of us stood a nearly twelve-year-old Dylan and we each had a hand on his shoulder. I could see us taking that photo again in a few years when Cheryl was older. The picture seemed so clear to me. Taylor and I would once again be standing side by side. Right in front of me, standing close to my height would be Dylan, probably about ready to graduate high school, and then in front of Taylor would be Cheryl, who'd be about up to our waists or maybe a little taller, and we'd all have the same smiles that we had that day. I sighed contently at the thought as I then made my way to my bedroom. I walked over to Taylor and wrapped my arms around her, and I felt her arms go around my neck. I slowly pulled away and began unbuttoning the cute vest she was wearing now, after she had changed out of the hospital gown earlier.

"We do have enough time, right?" Taylor inquired. "What if Cheryl wakes up? And what about eating dinner with Dylan?"

"We've missed ten years of this before, Tay." I said. "We've got all the time in the world."

* * *

Well they seemed pretty happy. It wasn't too cheesy, was it? Cause my other idea for an ending was Troy calling to say the twins were coming. But then I didn't know whether to end it at that or what. So hence the stopping here. I don't know, do you want a sequel or something though? Like even if it's just a oneshot of them all or something? Cause I can do that. Or what, is it a miniseries or something you guys want? Just tell me and I'll give you what you want to read. Anyway, previews are coming up next for ideas I have. One of them is a definite and we shall see about the others, if any of them even sound interesting or anything. And yeah, that should be about it.


	31. Previews

So here we are, the previews. Brief summaries of fics that are (and/or possibly) going to come in the future. Anyway, as far as this story goes I want to say thank you once again for all the reviews and I'm happy that you guys like it so much. Because I'd assume that if you're reading and giving positive reviews you liked it, or else you would have said so. o_0 Anyway, I'll move on and get to the summaries.

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Preview One

This first idea I got from reading "Deleted HSM3 Chaylor Scenes". I don't know, I feel like I need to ask permission to use an idea like this, or at least see if it's taken already. Basically it's like deleted scenes of Chad and Taylor from the original HSM. So what was going on in their minds the whole time during the movie? Did they have any secret moments that no one knew about? Obviously it'll end in them getting together, but we already knew that from seeing the movie didn't we? So basically, after all the songs and in between certain scenes you'll see their points of view and what they think about everything. Examples include the first day back from winter break, during winter musical auditions, while they make their plan, etc. It'll all be there. You know this story's gonna be coming soon!

-Credits-Credits-Credits-

Preview Two

Chad Danforth was a typical New Yorker at heart. He lived a normal everyday life with his parents. But he was a real troublemaker; there had to be a time that it would all end. That time has come. Chad's parents decided to send him across the country to a small horse farm in New Mexico. Call it a rodeo-esque area if you will. That is his punishment, with his parents hoping it'll turn him around. But little do they know that something else will. There is a girl about the same age as Chad who works there every summer by the name of Taylor McKessie. Now at first the two of them meet and they completely hate each other. But what happens when it all starts to change? And just towards the summer's end when they think everything is going perfect between them, what happens when coincidentally on the same weekend both sets of parents go to visit their children? The McKessies see Chad as nothing more than a troublemaker who Taylor needs to refrain herself from. The Danforths think that Taylor is only using Chad for completely selfish reasons. So will they end it strong as a couple or will the two fall apart?

-Credits-Credits-Credits-

Preview Three

Chad and Taylor have been together for six years. Graduating college, they are now happily married and are expecting their first child. Imagine their surprise when they find out they're expecting twins. Even happier, right? Well here's the catch. The twins are born prematurely. Now one of them is pretty healthy, but the other one is pronounced dead. So you can imagine their depression when they leave with only one of their children. Brokenhearted, Chad and Taylor have no idea that their other child actually survived. But as time goes on, their child knows that something is missing in their lives and likewise, their unknown child feels out of place, like they're missing something. But what happens when they all meet up again? {Note that the kids could be either gender and if this story is done, the genders are undecided at this point.}

-Credits-Credits-Credits-

Preview Four

Coming soon, see more chapters. See more romance. See more drama. Need we say more? More songs of "Classic Disney Meets New Disney" to come soon. Watch as the memories from more old Disney classics come back by meeting with HSM, one of the newer Disney movies. The songs will combine wonderfully with stories of Chad and Taylor. Also look for more chapters of "How to Ask". Ever wonder how many different wants Chad could pop the question to Taylor? You've seen him do it for her birthday. You've seen him do it at the beach. And you've seen him do it as he confesses his innermost secrets. How will he ask her next? What other ways could there possibly be? Keep your eyes opened, because more chapters of these stories will be hitting your computer soon!

-Credits-Credits-Credits-

Preview Five

At long last Spring Break has arrived. The gang is all in the midst of their freshman year at college and this is the break they've all been hoping for. Chad and Taylor are heading to Boston after saving up enough money to stay at the one and only Tipton hotel, after much hard work at Yale and U of A, luckily remaining together through it all. They have their own plans for the week but what happens when they run into Mary Margret, who happens to look exactly like Taylor? And ends up falling for Chad? And that's not even the end of it. How will things turn when a Chad look-a-like visits the hotel? {Note that the Chad look-a-like can be any character Corbin Bleu has played such as Izzy from "Jump In", Nathan from "Flight 29 Down", etc, but the chosen character at this point is undecided.}

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Ok so that's all I've got right now. I did have another idea, but unfortunately I never wrote it down like these other ideas which means I completely forgot it. DX Yeah, life's not fair that way is it? So I'll leave it at this for now. I'm afraid on Saturday I will not really have a chance to update everything, so either Sunday or Monday you will see something coming. Maybe tomorrow as in Friday, but I'm not sure yet. Just keeping you open, you know? Not Saturday you already know what I'm doing. No chance to celebrate my bday while you guys celebrate VDay. In my opinion, the only positive thing about the day is chocolate. But since I won't have much of a chance to celebrate any part of the day I'll sort of be celebrating it on Sunday. So hello ice cream sandwich for desser. ^^ Hey, c'mon, I hardly ever get to eat those cause they're not in the house. They're so good, they've got chocolate chips in the middle! Anyway, also to those of you who celebrate Black History Month, happy Black History Month. ^^ Anything else going on this month? 0_o I'm not sure right now, but for those of you who have other things to celebrate, happy things to celebrate. XD


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